Kamen Rider Zi-O and the Princesses of Power
by BrokenDreamsAndSouls
Summary: Oma Zi-O has been slain. However, he warns that his heir will take over Etheria in the future. Over a millennia later, his warning comes to fruition. Chronera, member of the Rebellion, has been chosen to become Kamen Rider Zi-O and to obtain the Ridewatches for the sake of the Rebellion. A group known as the Time Jackers also want the watches for unknown reasons. Can she stop them?
1. Prologue: The Day of Oma

_The Day of Oma…_

She-Ra pointed her trusty sword at Oma Zi-O, who laid, defeated, on the ground.

"You really thought you could defeat me, Demon King?" She-Ra asked, her sword glowing a bright blue. Oma Zi-O groaned a bit, slowly getting up from the ground. He stared at her, his eyes piercing forward at her. He summoned his swords, the Edge of Greatness and the Edge of Time, before running forward at her.

As expected, his attacks bounced off of She-Ra's powerful sword. She-Ra was the greatest warrior alive, it was no wonder that Oma Zi-O was having a tough time fighting against her. She-Ra's eyes squinted as she struck at him again, sending him falling to the ground. He let out another groan, as she walked toward him. Was this the end? No, it wouldn't be the end, he thought to himself. He laughed loudly, as he rose up one final time.

"I must give you quite the credit for besting me in battle, She-Ra." Oma Zi-O said, wobbling forward towards her. The golden-haired warrior simply stared at her, their eyes locked. "But I still have one final trick… up my sleeve!"

"You must mean…"

"Correct! The Ridewatches!" Oma Zi-O pulled out the Blade Ridewatch. "All the powers that I've stolen from the Kamen Riders." The monument that stood behind him contained the lifelike statues of the Kamen Riders. He laughed loudly. "And look at them now! Reduced down to mere statues that behold my glory!"

"You really think you can defeat me, don't you?" She-Ra asked, holding her sword up at him. In retaliation, he set the Blade Ridewatch into the Edge of Time, before he ran forward.

**Finish Time! Blade! Giri Giri Slash!**

The sword charged with electricity, lighting a bright blue as if it were conducting a bolt of lightning through the blade. The sword came into contact with She-Ra's sword, but She-Ra simply stood her ground. The two blades clanged against one another several times, each warrior holding down. But in the end, She-Ra's blade shined greatly, a white light emitting from it. The shine blinded Oma Zi-O for a moment, as her felt his belt get struck by his enemy's weapon.

He fell backwards once more, while his belt continued to spark. The Ridewatches spilled onto the ground, as She-Ra began to approach. Slowly, but surely, she picked up the nineteen watches that Oma Zi-O had collected over his rise to power.

"Etheria shall never be yours, Demon King." She-Ra stated simply, she ripped off one of the black belts that Oma Zi-O wore around his torso, and she slung it over her shoulder. Each Ridewatch soon made its way onto the belt, which contained enough holders for them.

"Etheria…? What's it matter?" The demon king said. "It will be Oma Zi-O's in the end…"

"I highly doubt that, old man. You're defeated. Without your dominion over the other Riders, you can do nothing. You're as weak as they come now." She-Ra replied. "And we will see that you pay for your crimes at trial."

"Hahaha… You really think… I will stand a trial!?" He rose up quickly, his sword in gun mode as he aimed it at She-Ra. In the flash of a moment, she disarmed him with her own blade, and struck several times at him. She-Ra had the permission to slay the demon king at any costs, even if it cost him his life.

Sparks flew off of Oma Zi-O's armor, as it finally gave way, revealing a man in his sixties wearing royal garb. He collapsed to the ground, as She-Ra turned to look at him. She had been provoked, and he had gotten the easy way out. But he laughed instead. The laughing was inane, and she did not like it one bit.

"You think you've won, She-Ra?" He laughed a bit more, as he turned over. Oma Zi-O could feel his life fading, but in the end he would have the last laugh. "For the Day of Oma will come once again one day! When the star Regulus, the star of kings, shines bright in the sky it will come! And my heir will take their rightful place as the overlord of Etheria!"

"Heir?! You can't mean…?!" She-Ra was astounded, this was the first time she was hearing of this news. It was definitely not good. If there was another member of Oma Zi-O's lineage, then they might inherit the powers he once had. The powers that allowed him to consolidate the powers of the Riders in the first place.

"I can see the future! Allow me to share it with you!" Oma Zi-O's final attack hit She-Ra hard, inflicting her with memories that were not her own.

_"It's nice to meet you!"_

_"Adora, she will become the grand Demon Queen who will take over Etheria."_

_"I won't fight you!"_

_"Then I will slay you where you stand!"_

The memories made She-Ra weep. She couldn't make all of them out, but she could hear Oma Zi-O's laughter in the background. But there was hope in there… she could feel it.

_"Shinobi is written as the heart of the blade!"_

_"The answer is to save the world! And it's always the right answer."_

_"A body of steel, and fire in my heart…"_

Those memories weren't her own. No, they were not. But they gave her hope. Oma Zi-O's laughter came to an abrupt stop.

"The Day of Oma is coming… It may not be in your lifetime, She-Ra, but as long as my lineage holds strong… You will never stop Oma Zi-O!" He gave a final cackling laugh, as he soon gave his last breath. Oma Zi-O was dead. She couldn't believe the war against the Demon King of time and space was over, but it was. Taking a deep breath, she looked up at the sky and envisioned a bright future. One where new Kamen Riders and She-Ra defended the world from evil.

However, she had one final job to do. To make sure no one ever held the power of the Riders before her, she had to spread them to the kingdoms around Etheria. Those in power of those kingdoms would know what to do to keep them safe.

She walked away from Oma Zi-O's body.

He didn't deserve a burial.

* * *

_Next Time: The Rebellion 3068_

* * *

A/N: Yes I am rewriting this story after I realized, through some help, that the story was too similar to Zi-O to really be interesting. This story will be more original, and I hope you enjoy it! This first prologue is a lot shorter than my normal chapters, but normal chapters will be around 2000-3000 words as per usual. Let me know what you think in the reviews! Thanks!


	2. Chapter 1: The Rebellion 3068

When the star known as Regulus, in the Leo Constellation, shines at its brightest… That is when the Day of Oma will occur.

Swartz approached the guard, who was attempting to run away.

"There is to nowhere to run," Swartz said, approaching the guard, who pointed his spear at the man in purple.

"Don't make me do this!" the guard begged rather pathetically. He didn't appear to have much of a backbone.

"Hmph… If you will not tell me, then you leave me no other choice." Again, there was no response from the scared guard. Swartz could only sigh as he pulled out a Ridewatch-like device. Unlike Oma Zi-O's colorful Ridewatches, this one was black and purple with a monstrous face on it. He pressed the switch button on the Ridewatch.

_IXA!_

The man in purple walked forward and shoved the watch into the man's chest.

He groaned loudly, before letting out a scream. Dark energy covered him, transforming him into a monstrous creature as the watch announced its name.

_IXA!_

"Since you left me no other choice, this will be your fate. You will retrieve the Ridewatch for me… Kamen Rider Ixa." Swartz smiled, as the monstrous looking version of Kamen Rider Ixa yelled loudly, before stumbling away. He would get what he wanted, regardless of the consequences to others.

* * *

Brightmoon was generally a peaceful place, minus the battle with the Horde that might have taken place there. Ever since the Battle of Brightmoon, Queen Angella had been on high alert to make sure that nothing like that ever happened again. It was the closest that the Horde had ever come to destroying the Rebellion, and she had to make sure it never occurred again.

"You wanted to see me, Your Majesty?" a new voice spoke, entering the war room where Queen Angella was. He wore a dark colored coat, with matching scarf around his neck. In his hands was a heavy tome, with clock decals and gears covering it. He, happy to finally be summoned, had a bright smile on his face.

"Yes, Woz, it seems I have need of your expertise," Angella replied, turning around to face the man before her. His name was Woz, a long time member of the Rebellion, and expert on the ancient history of the First Ones. Like her husband, Micah, Woz had come from Mystacor. "Tell me what you know about the ancient prophecy of the Day of Oma."

"Of course, Your Majesty! I would be delighted to tell you all that I know." Woz smiled greatly, as he opened his tome, and began to flip through the pages of his chronicle. "The Day of Oma was the day when the original Princess of Power, She-Ra slew the mighty Demon King Oma Zi-O! However, before he passed on, Oma Zi-O forewarned her of the future! One day, when Regulus glows brighter than any star, a new Demon King would be chosen to take his place and resume his rule!"

"And you are certain that the Day of Oma will come again in our era?" Angella asked.

"According to my research, the answer is uncertain. It could come during any era, but as the Horde grows stronger… I presume that Oma Zi-O will be needed in our time." Woz replied, closing his tome.

"Are you suggesting we use the power of the Demon King to fight the Horde?" Angella asked incredulously. "How can we be sure that Oma Zi-O's heir won't try to take the Horde's power and use it to rule Etheria?"

"Of course, that much is uncertain, Your Majesty. Whoever takes on the mantle of the Demon King will only start out with as much power as the original Zi-O did. It would be up to us to guide them down a path in which they do not end up as a tyrannical ruler!" Woz explained, his enthusiasm breaking through his attempted serious demeanor. The fact that he had been summoned, after all this time, was making him giddy.

"I see." Angella replied, looking down. "Do you know who is to become the new Zi-O?"

Woz opened the tome again and scanned the pages. His eyes then lit up and he smiled.

"That's interesting. Interesting indeed."

"What is it, Woz?"

"Oh, not only do I have the name but I know where they are. In fact, they are closer than you think," Woz replied, closing the book with a heavy thump. "Their name is..."

* * *

"Your name is Chronera, correct?" Angella asked, having summoned a young woman before her. Dressed in the royal guard's uniform and armed with a spear, she nodded her head to the Queen of Brightmoon.

"Yes, Your Majesty," Chronera bowed her head.

Chronera was a royal guard and appeared to be the youngest among them. In fact, she appeared to be close to Glimmer's age. Angella, of course, knew of Chronera's history. She had survived an attack by the Horde on her hometown. Unfortunately, her parents had not so lucky. She then joined the royal guard at a young age. Perhaps, one day, she thought she would be fighting the Horde to avenge her parents.

She was actually doing her guard duty when she was summoned by Queen Angella.

"I have an important assignment for you, Chronera. You are to become my daughter's bodyguard."

"Princess Glimmer's bodyguard? Doesn't she already have Bow and She-Ra to guard her?" Chronera asked.

"Yes, she does, but I feel like she would require more protection," Angella explained.

"I understand, Your Majesty. But why me? Aren't there older, more experiences guards you could've assigned this duty?"

"I feel that Glimmer would be more comfortable with a bodyguard who was close to her age," Angella explained, her best poker face on. Her ulterior motives could not be revealed this early in the game. She had to know what kind of person Chronera truly was.

"I understand, Your Majesty," Chronera bowed.

"First, you should consider finding attire that would make you appear less like a guard," Angella suggested.

"But, Your Majesty, this is my uniform."

"That is an order, Chronera."

Chronera sighed and took her helmet off, revealing the extent of her face. She had short black hair, a lesson that she had learned when she was younger. Long hair was just asking for trouble when you were a soldier. Her skin was tan, from the hours upon hours spent out in the sun training and working. Her eyes were a hazel color, and the Queen noticed how tired she looked. Bags had formed under them, signifying the lack of sleep she apparently had.

"You seem tired, Chronera." Angella noted, as the younger girl simply sighed a bit.

"I have trouble sleeping, truth be told. But it's fine, I can function perfectly well without too much of it." Chronera replied, standing at attention to prove she could. Angella had a soft smile on her face. This girl was trying way too hard, and in a way, reminded her of her own daughter.

"If you're sure you can. Try to get some rest while you can," Angella said. "Now get changed into something a bit more casual. That is an order."

Chronera nodded once more.

"Yes, Your Majesty." Chronera turned around, taking her leave. This was definitely not the way she had expected her day to go. From a mere member of the royal guard to a bodyguard for the founder of the revived Princess Alliance? It all seemed too good to be true, but she was definitely not asleep or dreaming.

Chronera had gotten change as ordered by Queen Angella. It just felt weird to be walking around the palace outside of her uniform. Now she was garbed in a black long-sleeves turtleneck shirt with a pink vest and blue pants. She also wore pink and black boots. Instead of her spear, she carried a dagger that was in scabbard that hung from her belt.

As she turned a corner, she accidentally bumped into someone. A book and a pocket watch fell, making quite a clatter as they hit the ground.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Chronera quickly picked up the book while the person she had bumped into picked up her pocket watch.

"What an interesting looking gadget," Woz said.

"Oh, my watch!" Chronera gasped. Woz handed it back to her as she handed back his book. "Thanks, I wouldn't know what to do if I lost it."

"That watch is that important to you?" Woz asked.

"It's a family heirloom," Chronera answered.

"I see."

"I know it doesn't look much and it really doesn't tell the time, but my dad always told me it would show me my destiny. Not sure what he meant, though."

"Well, Chronera. Maybe your destiny will come when you least expect it. Have a nice day." Woz then walked past her.

"Wait, how did you know my..." She turned around to find him gone. "...name? Who was that?"

Before she could continue to question herself, she realized she better make her presence known to Princess Glimmer and her friends. If only she knew where they were.

"I probably should've asked where they were," Chronera mumbled to herself, internally kicking herself for not asking such an important question. As she walked by a window, she saw in her peripheral vision a flying horse outside. She also saw who was riding it. "Well that answers one question!" She watched as the horse landed outside, and the newly appointed bodyguard made her way outside the palace.

Chronera was eager, but also nervous, to meet the heroes who had saved Brightmoon. Did this make her part of the inner circle within the Princess Alliance? Probably not, she thought to herself, as she approached the trio who were standing around the winged horse and having a good time. It only took a few moments for the golden blonde-haired girl to take notice of the approaching Chronera. She raised an eyebrow, and approached the short-haired guard.

Chronera could not help herself, as she soon found herself at attention once more. It was a nervous habit, that she felt whenever she met with someone of higher rank than herself.

Well, whenever she was nervous, she called on her guard training.

"Greetings!" Chronera stood stiffly at attention. "Princess Glimmer, my name is Chronera and Queen Angella has assigned me to be your new bodyguard, Your Highness!"

It only took a moment for Glimmer to sigh loudly, already disappointed in what was happening.

"Seriously, Mom put you up to this?" Glimmer questioned, groaning loudly. She thought she was past this part of her life now. She thought she and her mother had come to an agreement regarding her being able to do things on her own merit.

"It was her direct command, Your Highness," Chronera answered, not wanting to make any sort of trouble with the princess.

"I don't need a bodyguard," Glimmer responded stubbornly, crossing her arms a bit.

"Actually, maybe it's not such a bad idea," Bow interjected. "I mean, you did kinda get kidnapped a while back."

"I heard about that, Sir Bow," Chronera added. "And Your Highness, Her Majesty assigned me simply because she cares about you."

"Yes, she does," Glimmer agreed. She understood why her mother was so protective of her. After losing her husband, Glimmer's father, she wanted to protect her precious daughter. "Anyway, since you know Bow you probably know Adora."

"She-Ra, the Princess of Power." Chronera bowed. "Your Highness."

"Oh, please, no no no," Adora shook her head. "Please, don't do that."

"Your Highness?" Chronera asked, raising an eyebrow a bit. This was not what she expected in the slightest.

"Just call me Adora, okay?"

"We're pretty informal," Glimmer said. "Just call me Glimmer, Chronera."

"I...I don't know if I can..." Chronera struggled, not used to this sort of informality. Being trained to be a royal guard since at a very young age, she was used to a hierarchy of ranks and protocol.

"Just try it," Glimmer encouraged. "Just call me by my name."

"Glim...Glim...Lady Glimmer!" Chronera spat out. Glimmer sighed a bit.

"This is going to be a process, isn't it?" Glimmer asked herself aloud, but smiling a bit. "Well anything's better than 'your highness'."

"Welcome aboard, Chronera! Nice to meet you! I bet this will be the beginning of a beautiful friendship!" Bow shook Chronera's hand. "Welcome to the Best Friend Squad!"

"Er...thank you," Chronera responded.

Adora never thought she would find anyone who was more socially awkward than she was. She grew up in the Fright Zone, isolated from Etheria and had not seen its beauty until the day she found the Sword of Power. Clearly, Chronera had been in the palace walls for too long.

"So, Chronera. What do you like to do for fun?" Adora asked.

"F...fun?" Chronera raised an eyebrow. She didn't really have an answer for that one, having not had any sort of recreation since she was a child. After she joined the Rebellion, there was not much time for fun. Well, actually, she did have one hobby. "I like to collect and fix old clocks."

"That seems… oddly out of character."

"My family used to own a clock shop when I was younger. We fixed and sold handmade clocks, but I never really learned the craft from my father. I had to do a lot of research on how to repair old clocks in my off time while training to be a royal guard." Chronera recalled, slowly becoming more relaxed as she spoke about her sole interests in life.

"Well, none of us has any clocks to fix," Bow said apologetically.

"Oh, I know what would be fun. You could ride our horse," Adora pointed to Swift Wind.

"Your horse?" Chronera asked.

Swift Wind cleared his throat.

"I'm my own horse, thank you very much," Swift Wind reminded.

"...That's a talking horse," Chronera pointed out.

"Being She-Ra has a lot of perks." Adora replied, pointing to Swift Wind's wings.

"...A talking, flying horse," Chronera whispered. "And I can ride him?"

"If he lets you," Bow explained. "You know, like get his permission and all that."

"I… I'm not sure." Chronera bit her lip a bit. Besides flames, she had an irrational fear of heights. All of it stemmed from the same place, the attack on her village.

"Oh come on, it'll be fun!" Adora grabbed Chronera's arm and pulled her along towards Swift Wind.

"I… I don't know if I can. When I was younger… I had a bit of fall from a great height..." Chronera clammed up, saying nothing more on the subject. "Since then I've always hated heights."

"I'm so sorry. I didn't know."

"It's fine, Lady Adora. It's all in the past. I've learned to move on and focus on the now." Chronera had calmed down enough, managing to stave off a possible panic attack.

"Well we don't have to ride Swift Wind, then." Adora smiled brightly to Chronera, which caused the black-haired girl to look down. She wasn't sure how to respond, not having much interaction with people her own age. In her uniform, she looked like every other guard.

"We could go into town," Glimmer suggested.

"Into town? Are there any clock shops there, Lady Glimmer?!" Chronera's eyes shined brightly for the first time in their conversation. She had never really gone into the town proper, seeing what there was to see.

"Umm I think so?" Glimmer replied, just happy to see that Chronera was sort of relaxing around them. She didn't want there to be any awkwardness with a guard accompanying them.

Chronera realized how she sounded and calmed down.

"I'm sorry. I just got overly excited," Chronera apologized, bowing her head a bit.

"Wow, she's like Adora whens she first saw a horse," Bow whispered to Glimmer, remembering the first time they had met Adora after taking her away from the Horde.

"Let's go," Glimmer said.

"Lead the way, Lady Glimmer." Once more, Chronera bowed her head. It was what she was used to, even though it was evident Glimmer wanted her not to treat her like royalty.

"Quick question: how do you feel about teleportation?" Glimmer asked, turning to the royal guard.

"I do not know much about it, Lady Glimmer. I've always found it a fascinating subject, however." Chronera replied. Teleportation was something most found interesting, but Chronera found it interesting after having heard that Glimmer had the ability to do so.

"Well, then this will be a first for you," Glimmer grabbed hold of Chronera's hand. Chronera blushed. "Here we go."

"We're gonna…?" Chronera raised an eyebrow, but couldn't get anymore words in as Glimmer blipped forward. She would have yelled in alarment if she could, but the travelling was instantaneous. One moment she was with the others, and the next they were standing a couple of yards away from them.

"So what'd you think of that?"

"T...That was… exhilarating!" Chronera needed a moment to catch up with reality, but she showed a rare smile. Maybe… they would all get along well.

* * *

The town proper of Brightmoon was in full festival mode and hosting a festival. Having been cooped up in the castle for quite some time, Chronera did not know they were celebrating the defeat of the Horde at the Battle of Brightmoon.

"Everyone looks happy," Chronera observed the townspeople.

"Well, we did just fight back the Horde," Bow answered.

"But the Whispering Woods is gone. It was the kingdom's only natural barrier. Without it, we're open to attack at anytime," Chronera said. Many of her fellow guards had been sent to the border outposts to watch out for any Horde activity or in case they ever came back to attack.

"Yes, that's true, so people are just trying to find ways to cope and keep their minds of it," Glimmer said. "And this is what my mother wants to protect. This happiness, this fragile peace, it's something worth protecting."

"So, is a festival any different from a party?" Adora asked.

"They don't have parties in the Fright Zone. It's kind of depressing," Bow whispered to Chronera.

"Oh, they're game stands, food stands and souvenir stands!" Glimmer teleported around. "Hey, Adora! Look, there are She-Ra dolls for sale here!"

"Lady Adora, you've become pretty famous," Chronera remarked. She scanned the crowd for possible Horde spies. She was keeping her eyes open for anybody suspicious.

"Looking for anything suspicious?" Adora asked, recognizing the look.

"Yes," Chronera confirmed. "There could be Horde spies hiding in the crowd."

Bow would likely tell Chronera to relax and not be so paranoid, but it was Chronera's job to look after Glimmer. Being cautious was part of the job description.

"OK, but try not to overdo it," Adora advised. "You look like you're glaring at everyone."

"It's how I look while I'm on duty."

"You could tone it down."

"Chronera, Adora, come on!" Bow called.

Reluctantly, Chronera joined the Best Friend Squad on a day of fun and games. They visited the game stands, one which was a shooting gallery. Bow was told he was not allowed to use his bow and arrow. Adora showed off that she was pretty good at handling a slingshot and won a prize. It was a stuffed lizard-bear thing which she hugged. Chronera decided to try her luck but she ended up missing, and missing, and missing again.

Glimmer and Adora had to pull her away or else they would at the shooting gallery all day. There was someone doing face painting. Bow got himself a heart on his right cheek, Adora got stars on hers and Glimmer got crescent moons. The princess encouraged Chronera to try and he sat down to let the artist paint some designs on her cheeks.

They visited the food stands and Chronera decided that everything was either way too sweet and/or greasy, but she did not comment as she enjoyed herself with her charges.

Glimmer decided she needed a break and Chronera joined her on a bench as they sat down.

"What a day, huh?" Glimmer questioned her bodyguard.

"Yes, it was quite a day," Chronera confirmed. "It's been a long time since I've enjoyed myself so much." She remembered her childhood, of the annual Starlight Festival whenever the Star of Regulus shone in the sky. It just so happened to take place during her birthday. She and her parents always enjoyed themselves then.

"I'm glad," Glimmer said. "You look like you never had a day off in your life."

"I could not afford to shirk my training or duty, Lady Glimmer," Chronera answered.

"Why did you join the royal guard, anyway?" Glimmer asked.

"To fight the Horde," the bodyguard answered firmly. The Horde had taken everything from her and she carried the memories of that terrible with her, always. Those memories drove her to become the person she was today.

"Then what? What about after?" Glimmer asked.

"I..." Chronera never really thought about it but then took out her pocket watch. "I suppose I could open up a shop that sells and repair clocks. You know, continue the family business."

"That sounds nice," Glimmer smiled. Chronera blushed and looked away. She then remembered what she was supposed to do.

What was she doing? She was supposed to be guarding Princess Glimmer not out having fun. Queen Angella had entrusted her with this duty and she ended up wasting time and goofing off. True, she had enjoyed herself, but that was not her job.

Glimmer wanted to be her friend. As heartbreaking as it was, Chronera needed to make a few things clear.

"Lady Glimmer, I understand that you are trying to welcome me to the group. However, there is something you need to understand." Chronera looked at the princess with a serious expression. "I know you want us to be friends, but that's impossible."

Glimmer looked stricken.

"Chronera?"

"Your mother, Queen Angella, has entrusted me with your safety. I'm sorry, but I am your bodyguard. I cannot be your friend as it would not be proper."

"Oh, alright. I understand," Glimmer looked away. "You're my bodyguard. Not my friend."

Chronera was apologetic. They had such a wonderful time and she had to ruin it. However, she needed to make things clear and the sooner the better. She probably should've chosen a better time, but she was taught to never put something off to a later date.

"Guys, come on!" Bow ran over to the pair with Adora. "There's someone who can take a picture of us together! Let's get a picture taken to commemorate this day!"

"No, I'm tired now," Glimmer politely declined while rubbing her eyes. "Let's just go home, OK?"

Adora noticed Glimmer's expression then looked at Chronera.

"Did I just miss something?" Adora questioned.

"No, it's fine," Glimmer put on a smile. "If you guys want to stay and enjoy the festival, I can go home by myself."

"I'll escort you back home, Lady Glimmer," Chronera insisted.

"Yes, of course, since you're just my bodyguard."

The quartet suddenly heard screams coming from nearby and saw people panicking and fleeing for their lives.

"Is it the Horde!?" Adora reached for her sword as she prepared to see what it was.

"Lady Glimmer, stay behind me!" Chronera pushed Glimmer behind her, shielding her.

Then they saw the cause for the panic.

The creature was unlike anything that they had seen before. It was a skeletal looking knight, wearing a crown on its head. It had broken pieces of blue and white armor on it, with a golden inverted cross on its chest. It let out a groan, and in a raspy voice it began to speak. On its left shoulder was the word IXA and the right shoulder had the number 2008.

"Adora, did the Horde make that?" questioned Bow as he aimed his bow and arrow at the creature.

"I dunno! It looks like something Shadow Weaver would make but..." Adora started but the creature cut her off.

"**Tell me…! Will you return those lives back to God?**" it spoke, raising up a sword, seemingly made from bone, toward the quartet. As if on inctint, Chronera leapt forward, drawing her dagger out. She stood in front of the trio, and looked back at them.

"Please allow me to deal with this, Your Highness!" Chronera yelled, her eyes firing up. This was her duty, her mission, and if there was anything she liked more than clocks, it was being able to protect people. Protecting people from the same pain she felt as a child. Before any of them could answer, Chronera engaged the creature, which had slowly raised up its bone sword toward her.

Her dagger clashed against the bone sword, sparks flying off her steel blade. She had fought members of the Horde before, but this… this was unlike any power she had felt before. The skeletal knight swiftly moved and struck Chronera hard in the stomach, sending her onto the ground. It was painful, yes, but she had learned to bear the pain for the sake of being a soldier.

"Chronera!" Adora yelled, watching the soldier getting batted around like a ragdoll by the creature. She and the others quickly approached the girl, who had fallen to the grass again. "You should know, first off, we do things together around here."

"T… Together?" Chronera was used to fighting alongside comrades in battle, but this… She was supposed to be protecting them, not the other way around. Her mission was to protect Glimmer, and this was not what she was expecting.

Bow fired an explosive arrow that knocked the skeleton knight back while Glimmer peppered the monster with sparkling energy blasts. Chronera got back up from the ground, and ran forward toward the knight, striking him several times with her dagger. It was no good, she thought, his armor was in the way of causing any real damage.

"FOR THE HONOR OF GREYSKULL!" Adora yelled, raising her sword up towards the sky. There was a great flash of light that bathed the blonde-haired girl. Chronera covered up her eyes a bit, as the light was too great. It soon receded, revealing the taller eight-foot tall Princess of Power, She-Ra. Chronera's eyes widened a bit, this being the first time she had ever seen She-Ra in action.

She-Ra smiled a bit, as she approached the skeleton knight. He pointed his sword at her, and ran forward as fast as he could. Swinging his sword, She-Ra quickly blocked it with her own blade and swung it up, causing the knight to go off balance. Flashing another smile, she got in several strikes on the knight's body. The sword clanged against the armor, but the knight had taken damage from the First Ones' sword.

Staggering backwards, the knight soon regained its composure. Looking at She-Ra, it soon redirected its gaze toward Chronera. Raising up its sword, it ran forward at the royal guard, who was struck unexpectedly as it made a cut in her shirt. This pain… it reminded her of the last time she had seen peace torn asunder by some great evil. Angrily, she lashed back, striking at the armor of the knight. Sparks flew, but she once more found herself being hit back by the knight as it kicked her away. The knight turned to She-Ra, and struck her as well.

Caught off guard, She-Ra felt the full impact of the knight's heavy sword.

"Oh you think you can get a sneak attack in on me, huh?" She-Ra asked, turning to face the knight. The two continued to clash, as Chronera put her hands on her head. It was ringing loudly, as she looked forward on the ground. Her heirloom, the watch, was sitting before her. Shaking her head a bit, she slowly grabbed it and looked down at it. It was told that her destiny would be founded by this watch.

"My destiny… huh?" Chronera looked at the watch intently, before she looked back up at She-Ra fighting the knight. Glimmer and Bow were backing her up, but Chronera…? She was doing nothing to help at all. Slowly, she rose up from the ground, the watch held tightly in her hand. "I want to… protect them… to protect everyone from feeling… that same pain I did!"

Suddenly, the small watch glowed before her. Two hands appeared on the blank watch, the minute hand moving in a clockwise motion. The clock face flashed and changed. A symbol was emblazoned on the top, while the bottom had the current year written on it.

"What...?" Chronera asked, as she looked at the watch. Was this… her destiny?

"So, you've awakened the Ridewatch. As expected," a new voice said, arriving before them.

"Who are you supposed to be?" Chronera asked, looking at the man with the scarf and tome. He had a great smile on his face. She recognized him. He was the man she had bumped into earlier.

"My name is Woz, My Princess." Woz knelt before Chronera and presented her with something resting on a velvet pillow. It seemed to be some sort of white belt buckle with two large black ends protruding from it.

"Wait, 'princess'? I'm not a princess," Chronera denied, shaking her head a bit.

"You're a princess?" Bow overheard.

"I'm not a princess, Sir Bow!" Chronera replied, yelling back at him.

"But, My Princess, you are one! Take this, for it is your destiny to do so!" Woz said, offering the belt to Chronera.

"What does it do?" Chronera asked skeptically. She was not about to trust a stranger.

"It will give you the power to rule," Woz answered.

"Power...can this power help me protect everyone?" Chronera asked.

"Of course, this power was meant for you, to wield as you see fit," Woz explained.

"Power that I can wield?" Chronera took the belt buckle off the pillow, and as if it were second nature to her, she attached it to her waist. A belt sprung out from one side of the belt and tightened around her. Her hand, as if moving on its own, suddenly turned the face dial on the Ridewatch, as Woz had called it. Then she pushed the button on top of the watch, causing it to ring aloud.

_Zi-O!_

She attached the Ridewatch to the empty slot on the right hand side of the belt, which caused the belt to make a standby noise. Behind her a clock appeared, much to the confusion of the others.

"A clock?" She-Ra asked, being momentarily distracted enough not to see a strike hit her in the back. "Ah!"

"Lady She-Ra!" Chronera yelled, suddenly hitting the button on top of the belt. She felt compelled to spin the belt buckle counter clockwise, which she did, causing the clock behind her to spin around and the hands to meet at the same time.

_Rider Time! Kamen Rider~ Zi-O!_

Suddenly armor appeared around Chronera's body. It was white and purple on a black bodysuit, with a helmet covering up her face. It was shaped like the face of a clock, with two clock hands appearing over the mask's face like a crest. A visor appeared as well, spelling out the word 'Rider' in an unknown language.

"E… Eh?!" Zi-O said, suddenly looking all over her body to see what had just happened to her.

The skeleton knight, Bow, Glimmer and She-Ra all watched.

Smiling broadly, Woz opened up his tome. Oh, he had been waiting to say this for a long time.

"Rejoice as a new age has dawn upon us! Reborn in the new era, the grand ruler of time and space! She is the one to inherit the power of all Riders! Heir to the Great Demon King, her name is **Kamen Rider Zi-O!**"

"Kamen Rider...Zi-O?" Chronera questioned.

"Wait, did he just say 'Demon King'?" Bow questioned, raising an eyebrow at the newly transformed Zi-O.

Zi-O turned her gaze upon the skeleton knight and broke into a run. She ran past Glimmer and She-Ra before nailing the skeleton knight with a powerful right hook. Her physical strength had been increased tenfold, the force enough to send the knight onto the ground.

"Um, Glimmer, did you know about this?" She-Ra gasped.

"This? How would I know anything about this!?" Glimmer asked, waving her arms.

"She's your bodyguard!"

"We just met her!"

"Guys, shouldn't we help her?" Bow asked.

The skeleton knight got back up and slashed at Zi-O who ducked then delivered an uppercut. She then threw a series of kicks that sent the monster staggering. It caught her foot then pushed her back before slashing her in the chest, ripping sparks off with its blade.

She-Ra and Glimmer got their head back in the game and attacked. As the skeleton knight knocked Zi-O down, it raised its sword to strike her down but She-Ra parried then struck back, slashing the monster across the chest. It swung and she crossed swords with the thing, sparks flying as they clashed.

"Eat sparkles!" Glimmer cupped her hands, gathering energy, then threw a sparkling blast of energy that hit the skeleton knight in the face. It staggered back.

Zi-O looked at She-Ra and the Sword of Power which clashed with the skeleton knight's bone sword. If only she had a weapon to match theirs' All of a sudden, her wish was granted.

_Edge of Time!_

A sword materialized in her hand. It was technological in nature with a slot to dock her Ridewatch. Gripping it tightly, she looked at the skeleton knight.

"Chronera!" Glimmer ran over to her bodyguard and offered her hand but Zi-O got back on her feet by herself. She then broke into a run and joined She-Ra, double-teaming with her to fight the skeleton knight. She-Ra thrust forward, knocking the skeleton knight back and Zi-O dashed forward to slash it across the chest. It moved to strike Zi-O but she parried, giving She-Ra an opening to strike. As the skeleton knight staggered back, both female warriors hit it with simultaneous thrust, sending it tumbling.

"Nice moves," She-Ra complimented.

"Thank you, Lady She-Ra," Zi-O accepted.

"He's getting back up!" Bow warned. He began to fire a series of arrows. He tried a net arrow but the skeleton knight cut through it and charged at them. He tried a few explosive arrows but the skeleton knight just slashed, breaking them before he charged forward. It drew back its left arm, its fist glowing brightly, then punched the ground. It released a powerful shockwave that tore up the ground and knocked the teenage heroes down.

The skeleton knight looked around, choosing its target, then looked at Glimmer. It drew its left arm back and then threw a punch, shooting a burst of energy at the princess.

"Your Highness!" Zi-O jumped and leaped in the path of the attack. The explosive blast sent her soaring over Glimmer's head.

"Chronera!" Glimmer cried.

"No!" She-Ra got up and charged at the skeleton knight and slashed. He countered and shoved her back.

"OK, this should work!" Bow fired another arrow and it hit the skeleton knight's left side. It exploded and released a sticky good. "Yes!" He then knocked another arrow into his bow and fired it, aiming for the skeleton knight's feet. The same sticky goo covered its legs and immobilized it.

Glimmer went to check on Zi-O who groaned.

"Are you okay?" Glimmer asked.

The royal guard climbed back to her feet and saw the skeleton knight's state.

It was time to finish this. Fortunately, the suit fed the data into her brain and told her how to do that.

She pressed the button on top of her Ridewatch then the button on her belt. She then spun the buckle counter clockwise.

_Finish Time! Time Break!_

A series of magenta-colored characters in an unknown language encircled the skeleton knight. Zi-O then jumped high into the air and performed a flying kick. The characters merged into one and imprinted on her right foot. The characters on her foot and visor lined up:

_Rider Kick._

Zi-O's flying kick connected with the skeleton knight and it howled as it exploded. Zi-O then landed a short distance away from the flames and turned to face the creature's remains.

"Wow, what a kick. Think she could teach me that?" Bow asked.

"Magnificent, My Princess!" Woz cheered jubilantly. "What an amazing debut and show of power! Of course, there was no doubt that you would be victorious!"

"I didn't do it alone," Zi-O corrected. She could not have done it without Bow, Glimmer and She-Ra's help. "It was a team effort."

"My Princess, you are a humble one, but there is nothing wrong in taking pride in your first victory," Woz argued.

"Why do you keep calling me that? And what's this about me being the heir of the Demon King?"

"It's all written right here," Woz patted his tome.

"I see?" Zi-O tilted her head a bit, as she looked at the book that Woz held.

"It will be of no concern, for I will explain all in due time!" Woz announced, holding out his hands in a grandeur demeanor. "For now, we must turn our attention to the Another Rider."

She-Ra looked at Zi-O. Suddenly, she received memory flashes of memories that did not belong to her. Her head burned, as she held her head carefully.

_"Exterminate these poor souls at once!" _

_"Do you know the reason you cannot beat me?"_

_"It is because I was born to be king!"_

"Oma...Zi-O..." She-Ra murmured, as her head soon stopped hurting. The flashes of memories disappeared from her head, but the words still traveled from her mouth. She shook her head a bit, and turned her attention to the monster from earlier. It was time to check out what the Horde had cooked up this time.

* * *

A/N: Wanted to thank Kamen Rider Chrome for helping co-write and edit this chapter! It means a lot to have help to make this fic be the best it can be. Please enjoy!


	3. Chapter 2: Lives Back Unto God 2008

Both Zi-O and She-Ra had turned back to normal, following the battle. They turned to face the creature they had just fought, but instead of seeing the skeleton knight, they saw a royal guard badly battered in its place.

Chronera quickly went to check on the guard. She checked for a pulse and was relieved.

"He's alive but badly wounded," Chronera said. "We need to take him back to the infirmary."

"Wait, but he was that monster," Bow argued. "Shouldn't we find out how it happened?"

"The only way we can find out is to question him and he has to be healed first," Chronera insisted as she lifted up the guard. "Lady Adora, we may need to find transportation."

Adora was silent as she looked at Chronera. There was a strange look in her eyes.

"It's alright, I can take him back to the palace," Glimmer offered, grabbing onto the guard's body.

"But Lady Glimmer-" Chronera started.

"It's fine. I'll just teleport right back to the palace. I'll meet you guys there."

Without waiting for a response, Glimmer teleported away with the guard. Adora sighed a little bit, before turning her attention to Woz. She didn't know who this weirdo was, but she definitely needed some answers now.

"Okay, buddy," Adora pointed at Woz. "Who are you supposed to be?"

"My name, Lady She-Ra, is Woz! I am an ancient historian from Mystacor who works directly for Queen Angella! I suppose that would be all the relevant information about me. What's more important is that we stopped that Another Rider!"

"Woah, woah slow down there scarf-y!" Adora said. "Okay, let's first start with how you changed Chronera into that 'Common Rider Zi-O'."

"Actually, Lady She-Ra, it's Ka-Men Rider Zi-O. It is an ancient language lost to the current state of Etheria! It was one of the major languages when the First Ones ruled over this planet!" Woz said, looking to Chronera. "And she is a direct descendant of them."

* * *

Glimmer had returned to the palace's infirmary with the guard still with her.

"I need help here! Like right now!" Glimmer yelled, gathering the attention of the attendants to her. They did not ask any questions, simply gathering that a guard had been injured outside the palace walls. They took him to an empty bed in the infirmary to take better care of him.

Glimmer just sighed a little bit. They were having such a good time earlier, why did the arrival of Chronera suddenly have to make everything worse? From transforming into some armored guardian to fighting that skeletal knight, it was all so confusing. She just wished things would go back to normal soon.

Chronera reappeared in her mind, telling Glimmer they could not be friends. Glimmer pouted a bit as she teleported off back to her bedroom to sulk about it. Chronera reminded her a lot of Adora when they had first met her. She was socially awkward, having no sense of how to act around actual people. And maybe she just found her the slightest bit cute when she was talking about her clocks. If they were friends, then maybe she would be able to get past the awkwardness of Chronera being a guard assigned to protect her.

"Like I even need a guard! I can hold my own in battle!" Glimmer yelled, burying her face in her pillow. She screamed into it, and soon stopped. She lifted her head a bit. "Maybe I should stop being weird too… If she wants to be my friend, eventually, then I guess I gotta not act like I don't care either." She screamed back into the pillow. "What am I supposed to do?!"

"Well maybe start by telling her that, yourself," a male voice chimed in. Glimmer groaned and rolled over to see who it was. Bow stood there, smiling and chuckling to himself. "Come on, Glimmer. If you're that set on being her friend, then you gotta give her time. She's obviously more uptight and stricter than even Adora!"

"Yeah but I hateeeeee waiting! I just want things to be normal right now!" Glimmer groaned.

"Patience is a virtue or something, right?" Bow asked, looking up to his best friend. "You gotta be patient with her like you were with Adora. Things were weird with her for a while, but eventually it was like those weird times never existed."

"Ugh, I hate when you're right!" Glimmer blipped back to the floor. "But it's weird that Mom didn't mention my guard was going to be a transforming warrior woman."

"Yeah that whole shtick about the Demon King and stuff is super weird! And that Woz guy is even weirder than all that!" Bow said, opening the door to her room. "Adora and Chronera are going to see how the guard is, so we should probably join them to see what happened to him."

Glimmer nodded and blipped ahead of him.

"Bet I can get there faster!" Glimmer yelled, blipping ahead and laughing. Bow frowned.

"Oh come on, that's not fair!" the archer yelled, running after her.

* * *

"Do you know him?" Adora asked as Chronera looked at the guard. The royal physician was checking him.

"I patrolled the palace with him once or twice. He didn't really stand out to me," Chronera confessed.

"And the whole going monster thing, I bet that's new."

"We need to wait until he wakes up so we can ask him how it happened. I suspect it was not voluntary."

The two were silent for a moment. Adora kept glancing at Chronera who noticed.

"What is it?" Chronera asked, starting to get annoyed.

"Look, I gotta ask about this whole 'heir to the Demon King' thing," Adora said.

"If you're asking if I knew about it, I don't. As far as I know, my parents repaired clocks for a living," Chronera said firmly. "Woz seems to know more than I do."

"Yeah, that weirdo. And you just met him today?"

"Yes, I met him earlier when I bumped into him but I am positive I have never seen the man before today. Now, come on, we need to report to Her Majesty. She needs to hear about this."

Chronera exited the infirmary and Adora followed. As they exited, they passed Glimmer and Bow who came to see them.

"Sir Bow, Lady Glimmer," Chronera greeted before she continued marching to the throne room.

* * *

Both Chronera and Adora stood before Queen Angella with Bow and Glimmer. With them was Woz who smiled as he stood to Chronera's right. Adora was standing to her left and kept shooting glances at both Chronera and Woz.

"Your Majesty," Chronera got down on one knee and bowed her head. "I've come to deliver a report on the incident at the festival."

"Very well, Chronera," Queen Angella permitted.

"A creature, we believe from the Horde, attacked at the festival. Together with Lady She-Ra, Lady Glimmer and Sir Bow, we were able to subdue and defeat it," Chronera reported, giving a detailed report of the attack. Adora was a bit surprised at how much detail that she recalled despite having focused so much on fighting the creature. "However, by the time we finished off the monster, in its place was a member of the Royal Guard."

"So, the monster was a member of my royal guard?" Queen Angella asked.

"He could've been turned into a monster by Shadow Weaver," Adora added.

"Until he wakes up so we can question him, that is all we know so far," Chronera finished.

"And were you able to keep Princess Glimmer safe?" Queen Angella asked.

"Lady Glimmer insisted on engaging the creature with Sir Bow and Lady Adora," Chronera answered, lowering her head. "I apologize. I should've prevented her from getting involved."

"Wait, Chronera did save Glimmer's life," Adora interjected. "She used her own body as a shield."

"Did she?" Queen Angella questioned, smiling.

"She did, Mom," Glimmer confirmed.

"Yeah, she guarded Glimmer's body with her body," Bow added half-jokingly.

"Chronera, you may rise," Queen Angella commanded.

"Your Majesty?" Chronera raised her head.

"You have my thanks. And Woz, what is your assessment?"

"Your Majesty, My Princess did just as I predicted! She was able to awaken the Ridewatch and transform into Kamen Rider Zi-O! It was splendid to watch!" Woz announced, raising out his arms in a grandeur fashion once more.

"Yes, I wanted to ask about that, Queen Angella. What's this about an 'heir to the Demon King'? That doesn't sound good. And is Chronera secretly a princess?" Adora asked.

"It's… all very hard to explain. Even I only have limited knowledge to it, that's why I require Woz to explain things such as this. He is the expert on the history of Etheria, including information on the First Ones that many are simply unaware of," Queen Angella explained, looking down to Woz. He bowed a bit and turned to the others.

"I will simply tell this story, and you may all ask questions as I tell it!" Woz said, opening his tome and scanning the pages with his eyes. "According to this book, many ages ago, Etheria was visited by a mysterious being known as Oma Zi-O. He quickly consolidated power within the world, much like the Horde has done. He was faced down by the original bearer of the title of She-Ra!"

"The original She-Ra?" Adora raised an eyebrow to Woz. She had remembered many of the things that Light Hope had told her, including the She-Ra lineage.

"Correct. She-Ra led a great war against Oma Zi-O, and on the Day of Oma when Regulus, the star in the Leo constellation glowed at its brightest… She-Ra struck down Oma Zi-O! However, before he died, he left her a great warning. That when the Day of Oma returned, when Regulus glowed as bright as it did before, a new Zi-O would take his place!" Woz announced, turning the pages of his tome to a new page. "However, there are those who would seek to unseat Zi-O from her rightful throne! The creature you saw before you was one of those."

"So, you did know about that thing after all!" Glimmer walked over and pushed a finger into his chest. "What was that thing even?"

"Of course, Princess Glimmer, I will tell all I know. The creature you encountered is known as an Another Rider. For you see, Oma Zi-O's powers were not his own! He stole the powers of nineteen heroes known as the Kamen Riders! By sealing their powers into Ridewatches, he could use them as his own," Woz turned another page. "But those who would seek to unseat him were known as the Time Jackers. They too stole the powers of Kamen Riders, and twisted them into monstrous aberrations. According to my research, the Another Rider we all encountered today was Kamen Rider IXA!"

"But we defeated it, so there shouldn't be any problems now," said Adora.

"That, there, lies a problem. Tell me, did anyone collect the watch that fell out of Another IXA when he attacked us?" The others remained quiet, and they shook their heads. Woz sighed a little bit. "It seems our battle is not yet over. As long as that watch exists, then we will have to face off against IXA again."

"So tell us! How do we beat him?" Bow asked, tilting his head a little bit.

"The Time Jackers lack the proper power to create Riders based on the nineteen that Oma Zi-O stole from. So they stole the powers of those nineteen's allies. IXA was a close ally of the one and only Kamen Rider Kiva. If we use Kiva's power, we should be able to fully neutralize IXA's power and destroy the watch he used to transform."

"But the person who turned into Another IXA is in the infirmary," Glimmer said. "He's not a threat anymore."

* * *

Swartz went to visit the guard who was resting in the infirmary. When the guard saw him, he paled and started to panic. With a cruel smile, Swartz plunged his hand into the helpless guard's chest and took out the IXA Another Ridewatch.

"Stop sleeping on the job."

He pressed the button on the Ridewatch.

_IXA!_

A guard on patrol noticed Swartz in the infirmary.

"Hey, what are you doing in there? This infirmary is off limits to non-palace personnel!" the guard said, walking towards Swartz. The purple-clothed man scoffed a bit as he plunged his hand with the Another Ridewatch into the injured guard's chest.

"No please…" the guard managed to say, before he yelled aloud and was covered in dark energy, turning him back, once more, into Another IXA.

_IXA!_

Another IXA threw off the blanket and rose from the bed. Swartz smiled and turned to the guard on duty who still stood at the doorway. The guard, armed with his spear, grunted and ran forward to engage the monster in battle. It did not last very long, however, as he was quickly tossed from the infirmary into the hall. He hit the wall quite hard, before falling unconscious.

"Now, Kamen Rider IXA, retrieve the Kiva Ridewatch for me. Even if you have to do some unsavory things to obtain it."

Another IXA summoned his bone sword and stepped out of the infirmary. He was headed in the direction of the throne room.

* * *

"Until the Time Jacker responsible for turning him comes to reactivate the Ridewatch," Woz corrected. "He opened his tome." And that should be happening soon."

"Your Majesty!" a guard rushed into the throne room. She looked alarmed.

"What is it? What's going on?" Queen Angella stood. Chronera took her position, standing protectively in front of Glimmer who looked annoyed whole Bow prepared his bow and arrow. Adora drew her sword.

"A monster has infiltrated the palace! The guards are trying to subdue it! Your Majesty, you need to get to safety, now!"

They heard a loud ruckus as it got closer and saw more guards running by with spears. A violent impact was heard as guards were thrown to the floor. Another IXA was soon seen as it entered the throne room with guards hanging onto it, trying to weigh it down. Annoyed, the beast released a golden aura that blasted the guards off it and slamming them into the walls.

"Right on time. Those Time Jackers are always so punctual," Woz smiled.

"Your Majesty, Lady Glimmer, you both need to get to safety!" Chronera instructed as she put on the Ziku Driver. "Sir Bow, please escort the royal family to someplace safe! There's a fortified room under the palace, someplace no enemy can enter!"

"No!" Glimmer protested.

"Lady Glimmer?" Chronera answered.

"Stop treating me like this! I've had to put up with it from my mom for so long, I don't need to put up with it from you!" Glimmer scolded.

"Lady Glimmer, now's not the time-"

"No, you listen! I am not going to run and hide when my friends are risking their lives to protect this kingdom! I'm going to protect this kingdom with them and nobody, not you, not my mother, is going to tell me otherwise!" She glowed brightly and Chronera stepped back in front. "You're my bodyguard, so guard me! I need someone to watch my back!"

"O...Okay," Chronera was cowed.

"Well," Woz frowned. "That is no way to speak to My Princess."

Another IXA slowly stepped into the throne room and She-Ra transformed.

"FOR THE HONOR OF GREYSKULL!"

Chronera activated the Zi-O Ridewatch then docked it into its slot on the Ziku-Driver before she turned the buckle clockwise.

"Transform!" Chronera called out.

_Rider Time! Kamen Rider~Zi-O!_

She-Ra charged into battle and crossed swords with Another IXA while Bow provided long-ranged support. Chronera and Glimmer were about to join them when Queen Angella stopped them.

"Chronera," Queen Angella approached Zi-O with something in her hand. "This is the item you require to defeat the Another Rider." Much to Glimmer's surprise, it was a yellow and black Ridewatch.

"Your Majesty?" Zi-O asked, as Angella put the Ridewatch in Zi-O's hand. She looked down at it, where there was a bat shaped mark on the top of the watch with a date printed on the bottom: 2008. It was the same date emblazoned on Another IXA's shoulder.

"Another watch…"

"That watch contains the powers of Kiva. You should be able to use its power to defeat Another IXA." Queen Angella said, entrusting the Ridewatch of Brightmoon to the young warrior. Zi-O looked down at it again, before turning the dial to reveal Kiva's face. She held the Ridewatch outwards, before clicking the button on it.

_Kiva!_

"Then that must go… there." Zi-O said, placing the newly obtained Ridewatch onto the left railing on the belt. It slid on quite comfortably, as the hit the button on top of the belt once more. She spun the belt counter clockwise, and it once again made an announcement.

_Armor Time! _

A big cartoonish gold and black bat with red eyes appeared out of thin air. As soon as it did, it split in half and pieces of armor flew out and onto Zi-O's body, attaching to her arms, head, chest and legs. Finally, the two halves of the bat attached to her shoulders.

_Biting! Kivaaaaa!_

Woz opened his tome and loudly declared.

"Rejoice for a new era has come! The future ruler of time and space has inherited the power of a Rider! Her name is Kamen Rider Zi-O: Kiva Armor!"

The Kiva Armor had changed Zi-O's appearance, equipping her with a red breastplate and additional armor on her shoulders, arms and legs. The armor on her left leg, from the knee down, had chains wrapped around it. Finally, her helmet had new detailing which included a purple fanged mouth plate and a visor that spelled 'KIVA' in yellow characters of the unknown language.

"I think… I can do this!" Zi-O announced, running forward with her arms displayed much like Kiva, as she summoned her sword to her side.

_Edge of Time!_

Running forward, she took several easy swings at Another IXA, doing blows to him that even made She-Ra watch in amazement. It was as if her entire fighting style had changed to accompany her new transformation. Another IXA prepared to lumber over with his sword, striking downwards at Zi-O, who miraculously slipped out of the way.

As Another IXA recovered to strike, a sparkling blast hit in the face, disorienting it. Zi-O turned and looked at Glimmer, giving her a nod of thanks. Glimmer smiled and blasted when she saw an opening, keeping Another IXA off balance as She-Ra and Zi-O took turns landing slashes on the skeleton knight.

"My Princess and She-Ra fighting side-by-side!" Woz declared. "Truly an awesome sight!"

Bow took an easy shot at Another IXA, an explosive arrow striking him in the back. He staggered forward directly into Zi-O's fist.

"Chronera, I think it's time to finish this thing off!" She-Ra said.

"Very well!" Zi-O pressed the buttons on her Ridewatches and belt.

_Finish Time! Kiva!_

She spun the belt buckle to initiate the attack.

A giant Kiva symbol appeared below Zi-O as energy gathered in her right foot. At the same time, the entire room became pitch black as a blood red crescent moon appeared.

"I won't allow you to use Mr. Nago's power any longer!" Zi-O yelled, feeling as if someone had made her say that. A memory that didn't belong to her, perhaps? She raised her left leg and the chains surrounding it shattered, causing it to open up. Now she had a red boot with bat-like wings flanking it.

She used her right foot to proper her into the air and she performed a flip before performing a flying kick as crimson energy surrounded her extended left leg.

_Wake Up Time Break!_

Another IXA prepared his punch as his fist glowed yellow. As Zi-O crashed into him, Another IXA threw his punch. However, his attack failed, and Zi-O's foot crashed into his chest and she pushed him right into the wall. A large crack shaped like Kiva's symbol appeared on the wall behind Another IXA upon impact.

Another IXA groaned as his body shattered like glass, releasing the guard trapped within the monster who collapsed. The Another Ridewatch was expelled from his body before it sparked and shattered.

"Wonderful work, everyone!" Woz announced, walking toward the four who had just defeated Another IXA. "It's truly wonderful to see that this is all working out well! My Princess, you will make an excellent Demon King!" Woz waved his hands a bit, summoning over some attendants to take care of the fallen guard.

"Woz," Zi-O approached the man. "I refuse."

"Hm?"

"I refuse to be this 'Demon King'. I will use this power to protect Brightmoon and all of Etheria," Zi-O swore.

"Oh, My Princess, you must know that in order to protect the Rebellion you will need the power of Oma Zi-O! On the Day of Oma, you will transform into a being beyond recognition, and you will single-handedly destroy the Horde!" Woz said, holding his book tight in his hands. "Won't that be wonderful, for the Horde to finally be gone?"

The Horde to be gone was something Chronera wanted more than anything. They had taken everything from her; her home, her family and her childhood. It was tempting, but to destroy one threat only to replace it with another was not something Chronera could condone. According to Woz, it was her destiny and something she could not avoid. However, maybe she could take control of her own destiny.

"I'll use this power to destroy the Horde," Zi-O swore. "But I will not become Oma Zi-O. If I am destined to become a Demon King, then I will become the Demon King who protects Etheria!"

* * *

Swartz was not too upset about his first failure. He was used to trying out different methods in attempting to obtain the Ridewatches. He smiled a bit as he entered the Fright Zone, home to one of the many other Ridewatches around. In his hands he held an Another Ridewatch, which seemed to announce itself as he walked into the darkness.

_THEBEE!_

* * *

It was several days later. The guard managed to recover as were the other wounded guards. Unfortunately, when questioned, he had no memory of the time he spent as Another IXA. The past several days also gave Chronera time to process what was happening to her. She had joined the Rebellion and became a royal guard so she could fight the Horde. Now she had this grand destiny hanging over her head, and not a very good one.

She was the heir of the Demon King Oma Zi-O.

It was not a title that belonged to someone like her. She was not evil. She swore she would become a Demon King to protect Etheria, but she also knew that power could corrupt and it was possible Oma Zi-O's power could corrupt her.

Soon enough she found herself being called to the room where the Princess Alliance would often meet. It was a room she found herself guarding every once in a while, but never would she enter. She wondered why she was being summoned to enter?

"Your Majesty, you summoned me?" Chronera asked politely. She saw the Etherian Princesses all sitting in their seats. She recognized Netossa and Spinnerella. She had not had the chance to meet Perfuma, Mermista and Frosta. She had heard that Entrapta had sadly never made it home from one of their missions into the Fright Zone.

Bow waved at her and Adora smiled while Glimmer, well Glimmer did not seem too happy to see her. Honestly, they had not really talked after the incident with Another IXA.

"Yes I did, Chronera. Please take a seat at the table."

"But, Your Majesty, the table is for Princesses of the Princess Alliance." Chronera retorted, standing at attention again. Queen Angella sighed a bit, as she looked at the sad sight.

"Chronera, please relax. After much discussion, we have decided that since Zi-O is the Princess of Time, you technically qualify now as a princess. And we would like to have your input here at the table." Queen Angella explained, pointing her to an empty seat next to Adora.

Chronera wasn't so sure. She looked at the faces of the other princesses to judge their expressions. She then looked back at Queen Angella who was expecting a response. To be honest, she could never refuse a command from her.

"Very well, Your Majesty." Chronera took a very deep breath in an attempt to relax herself, just as she walked over to the open seat. She then went and sat down. It just seemed so surreal. She was just a soldier and now she was a princess.

"You'll get used to it, trust me. At least you didn't sit in the wrong chair," Adora said.

* * *

"Princess Glimmer…"

"I thought I told you to drop the formalities, Chronera." Glimmer said as she walked Chronera to her new room. Chronera wasn't sure what to make of getting a new room, since she was so used to staying in the barracks all her life.

"I… I'm sorry." Chronera sighed a bit, fidgeting her hands a bit. "This is all just new to me. Just a few days ago I was just a rank and file guard. Now I'm a princess and I'm the heir to a Demon King, it's just all too much for me. I thought being your bodyguard was going to be my only promotion in my lifetime, to be honest."

"You seem really closed off from reality, so you mind filling me in on that? Even Adora eventually managed to figure things out, but you… I don't get you. I've never seen a guard so passionate about their role as a guard."

Chronera sighed again, looking down at the ground.

"If we're going to be allies from now on, you might as well know this… Why I'm so obsessed with this job and protecting people."

"Oh?" Glimmer turned around to face Chronera, who looked quite downtrodden. She looked up to Glimmer.

"My family… died in a Horde attack during our village's annual Starlight Festival." Chronera said, biting her lip and staving back any tears that might have tried to escape her usually stoic face. "Everyone in my village… And I couldn't do anything. My father hid me away in a room hidden behind our family's old grandfather clock. While I was hiding, Horde soldiers came in. I heard everything that happened and I just kept quiet until I was sure it was safe to come out."

Chronera remembered seeing her parents' bodies and just staying beside them.

"Then they came. Members of the Rebellion found me inside my parents' shop… I'll never forget what the Horde did to my family… to my home… to my village. When the Rebellion offered to train me to be a warrior, I agreed. Since that day, I swore that no one would ever have to suffer another Horde attack like I did." Chronera sniffled a little, her stoic face breaking down more and more as the memories flooded back into her head. "I'll never forget the man who found me after the Horde destroyed my village… Even though after I came to Brightmoon I never saw him again."

Glimmer quickly gave Chronera a hug. She understood how traumatic it was for Chronera to have to go through that and have to live with the fact that she had survived and her family had not. Her whole village was destroyed and so she could no longer go back to her home.

"I know I acted wrong… I thought that interpersonal relationships would make this all harder than it actually is… but if you want to… I would like to be your friend, G...Glimmer."

* * *

Adora was in her room, lying on her bed. Chronera's introduction to the Princess Alliance went smoothly. Perfuma even gave her flowers. Although, the Princess of Power was still bothered.

It was the fact that Oma Zi-O and the first She-Ra had clashed in the past. She did not believe Chronera could become a tyrant like Oma Zi-O, but she thought she knew Catra, her best friend, and looked how that turned out.

She should not judge someone she just met and Chronera was loyal to Brightmoon, Queen Angela and the Rebellion, but with so much potential power she could gather from the Ridewatches, how long until Chronera decided to use those powers for other reasons?

Adora shook her head. She had to have faith in Chronera's words from earlier when they fought Another IXA. She was going to protect everyone with her power, and Adora would be there to make sure she stayed on that path. Her eyes moved over to her sword, and she frowned. Hopefully she would never have to fight her new friend.

* * *

"And so young palace guard Chronera begins her journey to becoming Oma Zi-O. Well, she claims she will become a Demon King to protect Etheria. Perhaps that will be true someday. But to do that, she will need to gather more and more power. She's also destined to clash with She-Ra as history repeats itself. Oh, perhaps I've read ahead too far again." Woz smiled as he closed his book.

* * *

A/N: Again, I'd like to thank KR Chrome for helping edit and co-write this chapter. Hope you all enjoy!


	4. Chapter 3: The Wrath of the Demon King

"Hey, Scorpia. Whaddya got there?" Catra asked as Scorpia seemed to be playing with a toy.

"Oh, just something I used to play with as a kid. I like the sound it makes," Scorpio answered as she repeatedly pressed the button on the watch-like device.

_Kabuto! Cast off to accelerate quickly! The beetle Rider is… Kabuto!_

"Wait!" Entrapta went and snatched the watch-like device out of Scorpia's claw. "Amazing, you have one too!"

Scorpia raised an eyebrow for a moment, before her eyes started glowing.

"You don't mean?!" Scorpia began to say, as Entrapta pulled out her own watch-like device and clicked the button on top of it.

_Drive!_

Catra rolled her eyes at how childish they were being.

"They're just dumb watches. How interesting could they possibly be?" Catra said, grabbing Entrapta's watch and hitting the button a second time.

_The police Rider who drives a red car and uses the power of Shift Cars is… Drive!_

"Huh?" Catra said, as the watch announced a full sentence similar to Scorpia's. "What the heck does that mean?"

Entrapta took her watch back and examined it.

"I've had it since I was a child. No matter how much I've examined the watch, no matter how much I've tried to tamper with it, I've been unable to figure out how it ticks! It's even more complicated than most First One's tech!" Entrapta said, fiddling with the watch as much as she could. No matter how much force she exerted on the dial, she could not get it to move. It was incredibly annoying since she knew it could move. Catra's ears when straight up, and she smiled. As Lord Hordak's new second-in-command, having replaced Shadow Weaver, she knew she had to come up with some dastardly plans to impress him. The last plan nearly had the Horde conquering Brightmoon. Her next plan needed to be something big.

"Entrapta, do you think you can figure out a way to harness the energy inside these watch things?"

"Hmm I could try! It might prove to be nothing, but if I can crack whatever code is keeping these babies locked up, we might have a power than even the First Ones couldn't unlock!" Entrapta spoke rather quickly, as per usual, but Catra just smiled to her. If they could utilize the powers hidden within these watches… then it's possible another attack on Brightmoon could go over well for her.

* * *

Swartz had never actually been to the Fright Zone before. He didn't fear any of its inhabitants, not even Lord Hordak. He knew that Lord Hordak, one day, would fall like every other tyrant. But for now, his goal was to create a new Another Rider to obtain the Kabuto Ridewatch for him. He knew it was here, so there was no use hiding from him.

"H...hey! Who are you supposed to be?" A voice said from behind Swartz. The man in purple turned around to face the owner of said voice, revealing a rather scrawny Horde soldier. Swartz smiled as he looked him over.

"I suppose you'll do. How would you like the power to vanquish all of your foes?"

"W...what?" the Horde Soldier named Kyle said, gulping a bit. Why did he have a bad feeling about this?

"All you have to do is a little task in return. I won't take no for an answer!" Swartz said, pulling out the TheBee Another Ridewatch and clicking the button on top of it.

_THEBEE!_

Kyle yelled loudly as Swartz shoved the Ridewatch into his chest, causing him to be overcome with energy. He surrounded by darkness, as he transformed into a grotesque looking humanoid wasp monster. He had a body covered in a yellow exoskeleton with black stripes and also stingers sticking out of its wrists and pointed forward like spikes.

It had 'THEBEE' on its right wing and '2006' on its left wing.

In the blink of an eye, Another TheBee was gone, blurring out of sight.

* * *

"Alright, that should be the last of it," Chronera said to herself as she stood on top of a ladder. She had just finished decorating her room and was satisfied with the results.

She climbed down and closed up her tool box when she heard a knock at the door. She stood up straight and answered.

"You may enter!"

The door opened and Glimmer came in with Bow.

"Lady Glimmer, Sir Bow," Chronera greeted. "Good morning."

"Morning? It's past noon," Bow said. "I can't see how you could miss _that_."

"Wow, when you said you collected clocks, you were not kidding," Glimmer saw an entire wall that was covered in ticking clocks.

"I just thought I needed to redecorate my new room, that's all," Chronera answered. "I just got around to doing it. I've just been very busy these past few days.

Before she could move into the palace, she had to inform her CO that she would be leaving the guard barracks. Then she had to say goodbye to all the other guards who congratulated her on her promotion. It was a bit touching but Chronera knew she would be seeing them all around the palace.

There was also her official introduction to Queen Angella's court as she was dubbed Zi-O the Princess of Time. Honestly, it had been pretty crazy. Just a week ago she had only been a guard.

"Hey, what's this thing?" Bow asked, pointing at short tower-like object on Chronera's table. The Zi-O and Kiva Ridewatches were docked into it. Her Ziku-Driver was next to the object.

"Woz gave it to me to store my Ridewatches," Chronera answered. "It's pretty convenient."

"And according to Queen Angella there are 19 of these things," Bow said. "And the princesses have them."

The princesses revealed during the meeting that they were also in possession of the Ridewatches. However, they had yet to relinquish them to Chronera. It was like they were waiting for her to prove herself. Even Frosta was a bit critical of her.

"I don't see why they can't just give you the Ridewatches," Glimmer said.

"I don't think it's that simple, Lady Glimmer. Since they do belong to the kingdoms, they are the princesses' property. It's like asking me to give up my family heirloom," Chronera answered. "I just need to prove my worthiness to the princesses." She had a feeling the princesses were going to test her somehow.

"So, you have any plans for the day?" Glimmer asked.

"I could take my lunch," Chronera said. "Also, where's Lady Adora?"

"Training," Bow and Glimmer answered in unison

* * *

Adora had gone to visit Light Hope's temple to do her training. While Light Hope suggested that Adora train for years to master the Sword of Power, the young Princess of Power managed to compromise with the ancient A.I. Adora would come for training but then she would be allowed to return to her friends. She even set up a schedule to do that.

Adora had told her friends she had come for training, but the truth was she came for answers.

She needed to know more about Etheria's history, and about Oma Zi-O.

"Hello, Adora," Light Hope said, as Adora arrived in the First Ones' Temple.

"Light Hope… Before we start training today, I need some pretty big answers," Adora replied putting her foot down a bit. Light Hope's A.I. apparition appeared before her. "You need to tell me about Oma Zi-O."

Light Hope remained quiet for a few moments, taking moments to process Adora's request.

"It seems the time has come in which the new Oma Zi-O has risen up, and you need advice on how to defeat them, correct Adora?" Light Hope replied. Adora shook her head a bit.

"No, no, no. Nothing like that. Well, yeah, there's a new Zi-O, but she isn't a Demon King. At least… not yet. We're trying to keep her from becoming that, and in order to do that, I need to know everything you know about this Oma Zi-O and his history."

"Very well, Adora. I will indulge you in this matter. It may come to your assistance in the future." Light Hope said, summoning small screens before her. "Oma Zi-O was a visitor to Etheria from the First Ones' home planet. He sought to expand his empire to other worlds. When he arrived in Etheria, he quickly took much of the First Ones' territory over."

"But how did he do that?" Adora asked, raising an eyebrow and crossing her arms.

Light Hope showed Adora an image of Oma Zi-O facing an army. He raised his hand and simply disintegrated them all. Adora was astounded and horrified by this imagery. How could anyone simply disintegrate an army at once?

"Oma Zi-O possessed the power to manipulate time as he saw fit," Light Hope informed. "When he made his final prophecy, it was no prophecy. It was a purposeful attempt to manipulate the future in his favor. However, no one has the hindsight to see the full future. Even Oma Zi-O could only predict the future a few moments ahead of himself in battle."

The ability to predict the future, even a few moments ahead in battle, was pretty useful. You could know what your opponent was going to do before they did it and work out a counter before they made the move.

But the ability to manipulate time and destroy a whole army like that without any effort, it was frightening. Not even Hordak had such power.

"Light Hope, I'm only asking you this because I know who Oma Zi-Os' heir is. Is Chronera, is she really a direct descendant of Oma Zi-O?"

"... She is. Oma Zi-O did indeed have a child. While nothing is known about them, he hid them away and made sure no one knew about them," Light Hope explained. "That way his lineage would continue undisturbed in an adopted family. No one would know who the child was, and the future he envisioned would come to pass."

"I see… I have another question then. These Ridewatches that Chronera uses… what are they?"

"The Ridewatches are technological marvels from the First Ones' home planet. They hold the ability to seal away the powers of the Kamen Riders. Nineteen of them were created by Oma Zi-O in his conquest to overtake many worlds as he saw fit." Light Hope summoned another screen showing the nineteen Ridewatches.

"And the first She-Ra, she defeated Oma Zi-O?" Adora asked, observing the screen that Light Hope had brought up.

"It was a brutal war and many lives were lost. During the final battle, the original She-Ra struck Oma Zi-O down. She also distributed the Ridewatches to the kingdoms of Etheria for safe keeping."

"Light Hope, you know the about the past, so this is my final question: will Chronera become like Oma Zi-O and will I have to fight her?"

"The past… cannot predict the future. Time is flexible, always changing." Light Hope replied. "Whether or not she becomes the Demon King as Oma Zi-O predicted is up to the people around her. Will they guide her on a path towards righteousness? Or down a path of destruction?"

"And if she ends up turning out like her ancestor?" Adora asked worriedly.

"The Sword of Power and She-Ra were created to protect Etheria. When the time comes, you must do what needs to be done."

* * *

Chronera sat at the royal dining table and it was still a novel experience even though she had eaten there many times beforeShe looked at her plate of food. It was good, too good for someone of her background.

She was pretty content with the meals in the mess hall. She was alright with something simple.

This, however, was food meant for royalty and high nobility.

"Chronera, is something wrong with the food?" Glimmer asked. "You know, we can ask the cooks to make you something else."

"Oh, no, it's fine, Lady Glimmer!" Chronera replied. "Just thinking, that's all."

Chronera had yet to drop her habit of calling her 'Lady Glimmer'. Glimmer, well, had gotten used to it. To be honest, it was flattering.

"What are you thinking about?" Bow asked.

"About what the princesses may expect of me to earn their Ridewatches," Chronera poked at her fish with her fork. She ate it and sighed happily. That was just so good! "And what I will be coming."

"Oh, well, you'll become the Greatest Demon King, My Princess!"

Woz's appearance made the three teenagers jump out of their seats.

"Woz!" Chronera cried.

"Where did you come from!?" Glimmer shouted.

"Man, we need to put a bell on you!" Bow yelled.

"My apologies," Woz smiled as he bowed. He did not look apologetic at all.

"What do you want, Woz?" Chronera asked. The man was weird, a bit cryptic, but he was still an ally. Although, it would appear he was more loyal to Oma Zi-O - which meant he was loyal to her -than he was to Queen Angella.

Woz opened up his book and flipped through the pages.

"According to my book, you will acquire the Kabuto Ridewatch," Woz informed Chronera.

"Kabuto? As in Kamen Rider Kabuto?" Chronera asked.

"Yes, indeed, My Princess," Woz confirmed.

"So, what can Kabuto do?" Bow asked, curious.

"The power of Kamen Rider Kabuto would allow Oma Zi-O to become so fast that he would be invisible to the naked eye," Woz explained. "Such a power would make a fine addition to your arsenal, My Princess."

"So, where is the Kabuto Ridewatch?" Glimmer asked.

"Oh, it's in Horde territory. The Fright Zone to be more precise."

"I...I need to go. Yes, I'm going on a walk. Thank you for the meal, Lady Glimmer," Chronera excused herself after Woz revealed the location of the Kabuto Ridewatch. Glimmer and Bow looked at Chronera worriedly as she exited the dining room.

"Should we go after her?" Bow asked.

"I think we should," Glimmer answered as she stood up.

"I'd advise you not to, Princess Glimmer. My Princess has much on her mind," Woz politely objected. "If she wishes to speak to you, then there will be no problem."

Glimmer glared at Woz. Despite his claims and her mom's assurance, she did not trust Woz. He was hiding something and he looked like he was manipulating Chronera. Not allowing him to stop her, Glimmer teleported out of the dining room to catch up to Chronera.

Woz sighed but smiled.

"I'm glad My Princess has found such a loyal friend."

* * *

Walking along the hallway, Chronera appreciated the familiarity of the routine as she had patrolled the palace many times before. There was little to no chance of an intruder breaking into the palace in broad daylight, but they still needed to be thorough.

Chronera passed by guards in the hallway and greeted them and they greeted back. However, she noted how they seemed to greet her as if she was royalty. She knew that there was a division in the social caste. Afterall, not too long ago she had been a royal guard, a commoner who had joined the Rebellion. Now, now she was the Princess of Time.

"A princess without a kingdom," Chronera muttered. Brightmoon was Queen Angella's kingdom and someday Glimmer would be crowned queen as well once Angella stepped down.

Chronera indeed had much on her mind. The Kabuto Ridewatch was in the Fright Zone. That was alarming news. On one hand, perhaps it was just hidden away. However, on the other hand, it could've fallen into the Horde's hands. They likely did not know what it was or what it could do. Without a Ziku-Driver, it was pretty much useless. However, it was only a matter of time before they unlocked its secrets.

She could not allow the Horde to have access to such power. They could not be allowed to have that power and use it to spread more pain and suffering. There was also the threat of the Time Jackers who would be targeting it too.

She was going to claim it, she resolved.

"Chronera!" Glimmer appeared and the Princess of Time gasped.

"Lady Glimmer, you startled me!"

"I'm sorry. Just worried about how you were doing."

"It's just, when Woz told us that the Kabuto Ridewatch was in the Fright Zone, I needed to clear my head."

Glimmer looked at Chronera suspiciously.

"You're not planning on going into the Fright Zone to get it, are you?"

"I may have to," Chronera confessed.

"No, no, no, no! You are not doing that!" Glimmer firmly protested. "You're not going to the Fright Zone, especially not alone! The others went to rescue me and we lost Princess Entrapta! That nearly ended the Princess Alliance, again!"

"But the Horde can't be allowed to have it!" Chronera vehemently argued. "You understand what they had taken from me! They took your father from you! Don't you want to strike back at them!?"

Glimmer was stricken. Yes, the Horde had killed her father and she wanted to avenge him, but there were other ways, better ways than going behind enemy lines just to retrieve a trinket, even if it was a powerful one.

Glimmer took hold of Chronera's hands and the former guard's eyes softened.

"Of course, I understand. They've hurt a lot of people and I lost my dad. I don't want to lose more friends," Glimmer said. "Promise me you won't do anything stupid."

"Lady Glimmer..." Chronera whispered. She was always taught to obey royalty, but she and Glimmer were now of equal rank and class. Should she obey? Wait, was she supposed to obey or just respect her friend's decision?

This was all so confusing.

"Lady Glimmer, I promise I won't do anything stupid," Chronera claimed. Glimmer seemed satisfied with that.

"OK, good. Anyway, Bow and I are going to hang out in the garden. You can come join us," Glimmer said.

"I will," Chronera smiled and Glimmer blipped 's smile soon faded as her eyes hardened.

"You look like you've made your decision, My Princess," Woz said as he leaned against the wall beside her.

"The Kabuto Ridewatch can't remain with the Horde and the Time Jackers can't have it," Chronera decided. "It's _mine _by right."

"True, it is yours by your birthright, My Princess. If you wish to reach the Fright Zone quickly, then this should help you," Woz said as he presented Chronera with a Ridewatch. It had the word 'Bike' on it in the same unknown characters as the one on her visor and equipment. Chronera took it and studied it. "I advise you to activate it outside."

Chronera marched back to her room and entered. She went to grab the Ridewatch Holders that Woz had given her and strapped them to her forearms. The Ridewatch Holders were amrguards with two slots on each that could fit her Ridewatches. Going over to the Ridewatch storage rack, she removed her Zi-O Ridewatch and the Kiva Ridewatch before she slotted them into her holders. She also put the Bike Ridewatch into a free slot. The final slot was for a Ridewatch that Woz told her could be used as a communications device.

Chronera went to her closet and grabbed her backpack. She was going to need supplies. She opened up her foot locker and began to go through it. She found some ration bars, a canteen for water, and a first aid kit. She would fill the canteen later. She stuffed her backpack and made a mental checklist of the things she had packed.

She looked outside. She could not go out now. She would need to wait until later that night to enact her plan.

"Sorry, Lady Glimmer."

* * *

Chronera waited until it was night before she made her move. Until then, she had to behave normally as not to arouse suspicion. She spent time with her friends and also had dinner with everyone before they all turned in for bed. Knowing the guards' patrol schedules and patterns by heart, she was able to sneak out without being seen.

Chronera stood outside of Castle Brightmoon and removed the Bike Ridewatch from the Ridewatch Holder on her left arm. She looked at it and clicked the button on it, before dropping it to the ground. It unfolded and grew into a large machine unlike anything that Chronera had ever seen before. It had two wheels and looked like it was meant to be ridden. Somehow, deep down, she knew how to ride it.

Getting on top of the bike, she began to start it up, only to be cut off by the voice of Adora.

"Hey, wait up!" Adora yelled, running up from behind the girl. "You really think you can just run off and head to the Fright Zone without any help?"

"How do you know I plan to go to the Fright Zone?" Chronera asked.

"Well, Woz told you there was a Ridewatch there and Glimmer told me you were acting a bit weird. I mean, you were trying way too hard to act normal. You _offered _to braid my hair," Adora answered. "And if I were you, I wouldn't waste time trying to get what I was looking for."

"The Fright Zone is dangerous, and I cannot allow my new friends, Lady Adora, to get hurt based on Woz's hunch." Chronera explained, having come to a stop on her bike. Adora sighed a little bit.

"I grew up in the Fright Zone, so I know how dangerous it is for someone to go alone, even if she does have the power to back her up. Plus, I know a shortcut that can get us in without being seen," Adora got on the bike behind her and held onto Chronera, causing the latter to blush a bit. "So I'm coming with you, whether you like it or not."

"F...Fine. We just need to slip in and out of there after we find the Ridewatch," Chronera said, starting up the bike once more "Hang on tight!"

The bike zoomed off quite fast as it headed into the slowly recovering Whispering Woods, the first leg of the journey into the Horde's Fright Zone.

Adora navigated, pointing Chronera in the direction toward the shortcut. The Princess of Time followed the Princess of Power's direction until they reached what seemed to be a tunnel in a mountain.

"This is the shortcut?" Chronera asked after she stopped her bike.

"Yeah, this tunnel cuts right through into Horde territory. From there we'll be able to get into the Fright Zone," Adora answered.

Chronera nodded and sped into the tunnel, exiting out the other side in a few minutes. To be honest, she was not sure what to expect to see when she entered Horde Territory, but she suspected that the land was ruined by what they had done.

Pretty soon, they reached the Fright Zone and Chronera stopped at the outskirts of it. She saw buildings everywhere but no civilians in the streets, the sky was dark and covered in smog, and it just looked so dark, evil and gloomy. Chronera knew this was once a kingdom that the Horde had conquered. Now it was just a shadow of its former self.

"You grew up _here_?" Chronera asked Adora. "And you did not once suspect it was evil?"

"I didn't know any better," Adora defended.

"Alright, so where should we be headed?"

"The main fortress is over there. We'll have to cut through the industrial area to get there. Hopefully, we won't run into any Horse soldiers," Adora pointed.

* * *

As if someone had been expecting them, they were met by a group of robotic sentries, being led by a cat-like person.

"Hey, Adora," Catra greeted as she saw her and Chronera. "And who's this, another one of your new friends?"

Chronera's eyes narrowed at the sight of Catra. Oh, she knew about the Force Captain, now second-in-command of the Horde. She was the one who had led the assault on Brightmoon.

"Catra," Adora frowned.

"Anyway, I've just been made Hordak's second-in-command," Catra boasted. "Guess I'm moving up in the world, 'princess'."

"Lady Adora, it would appear we'll have to fight her," Chronera said.

"Oh, so now it's 'Lady Adora'!" Catra laughed. "Where did you find this one? Seriously, your new friends get weirder and weirder sometimes."

Chronera narrowed her eyes again and let out a small growl. The Horde thought so highly of themselves, and this time around she wouldn't let them survive.

"My name is Chronera, former royal guard of Brightmoon!"

She took out the Zi-O Ridewatch, clicking the button on top, before attaching the Ziku Driver to her waist.

_Zi-O!_

"And Princess of Time, Zi-O! Transform!"

She docked the Ridewatch into her Ziku-Driver and spun the buckle, initiating the transformation.

_Rider Time! Kamen Rider~Zi-O!_

_Edge of Time! Gun!_

Zi-O summoned her signature weapon and converted it into its Gun Mode by folding back the blade. She took aim and fired a shot at Catra who dodged.

Catra immediately took notice of the watch that Zi-O had used to transform. It looked, and sounded, exactly like the ones Entrapta and Scorpia had been playing around with earlier. She let out a cruel smile.

"Chronera, wait!" Adora shouted.

"She's a member of the Horde! She knows we're here and will alert the others! We need to take care of her!" Chronera shouted as she continued to fire at the agile Catra.

Reaching to her belt, Catra took out a blaster and fired back at Zi-O, stunning her. She then lunged forward and kicked Zi-O in the chest, knocking her back. Adora watched as her old best friend and her new friend fought. She drew her sword, getting ready to intervene.

_Sword!_

"Horde scum!" Zi-O spat as she swung at Catra who ducked under the Edge of Time. Hordak's new second-in-command then took out a baton from her belt and sparks burst as the weapons clashed.

"Seriously, what's your deal?" Catra questioned.

"You monsters took everything from me!" Zi-O shouted. "So, I'm going to kill every last one of you! Starting with you!"

Adora had never heard Chronera sound so hateful before. Sure, she could be stoic, a bit awkward and had a hard time showing emotions properly, but this was the first time she heard so much hatred coming from her. It was like she was a completely different person.

No, she wasn't a different person. This was Chronera's true self which she had hidden under all that discipline and training as a royal guard. The Horde had killed Chronera's family so she held a grudge against them since childhood. She joined the Rebellion so she could fight them.

She wanted to destroy the Horde like they had destroyed her family and home.

"Wow someone's a little angry! I'd like to see that happen!" Catra said, running forward to attack Zi-O.

"This is the sword… that serves justice!" Zi-O said, striking at Catra's baton quite hard with her Edge of Time. Catra was taken aback by how powerful the strike truly was. "And with no armor, this should be a quick battle!" Zi-O kicked Catra in the stomach, sending her back a bit and causing her to grunt over in pain.

"FOR THE HONOR OF GREYSKULL!" Adora yelled, quickly transforming into She-Ra.

As Zi-O was about to strike Catra, the Sword of Power came into her path.

"What?! Why are you getting in my way, Lady She-Ra?!" Zi-O yelled, stopping dead in her tracks.

"Chronera, you need to stop! This isn't the way!" She-Ra shouted.

"Are you joking? You should know better than anyone of what the Horde have done! That's why you defected! That's why you became She-Ra!" Zi-O shouted back.

"I became She-Ra to protect people! So I won't allow you to kill Catra! If you do, you'll be no better than the Horde!"

"So what?" Zi-O asked coldly.

"Chronera?"

Zi-O swung at She-Ra who blocked with the Sword of Power.

"How many people have the Horde killed!? How many homes have they destroyed!? How many lives have they ruined!? Do you even understand their pain and suffering!? The Horde don't understand mercy so they don't deserve any!" Zi-O shouted as she clashed with She-Ra.

She-Ra blocked each and every attack, while Chronera grew angrier and angrier with each strike.

"You don't understand! If we kill like them, that makes the Rebellion just as bad as the Horde!" She-Ra yelled, keeping her sword up and blocking each attack while Zi-O continued to come to blows with her.

"Then we'll save Etheria by wiping the Horde out once and for all!" Zi-O argued. She gave She-Ra a kick that sent her staggering and then delivered a powerful swing that sent the Princess of Power backpedalling.

She-Ra knew she couldn't keep up with this aggressive fighting, so she quickly took a single open moment to strike at Zi-O, who fell back a bit. Zi-O groaned, as her visor turned from violet to red.

"Lady She-Ra… I can see your future!" Zi-O yelled, looking ahead several moments into the future that showed Zi-O being struck several times by the Sword of Power before She-Ra used a magical energy blast to knock her out.

She-Ra charged at Zi-O who stood back up. The strikes came as she predicted and so she blocked them as they came. She saw the Sword of Power glow, ready to fire its magical energy blast. Swiftly, Zi-O buried her fist into She-Ra's stomach, causing the blonde warrior princess to yell out in pain. Catra just watched and laughed, enjoying every moment of this.

Not so much friends now, were they?

Zi-O pushed She-Ra to the ground.

She-Ra looked at Chronera, no Zi-O and could see Oma Zi-O standing in her place. It was like history was repeating itself, with She-Ra in the place of her predecessor and Chronera in the place of her ancestor.

"You know, Lady She-Ra. I misjudged you. You may have left the Horde and joined our side, but deep down you're still one of _them_!" Zi-O undocked the her Ridewatch from her belt and slotted it into her Edge of Time.

_Finish Time! Zi-O! Giri Giri Slash!_

Zi-O ran forward with her sword and began to slash down at She-Ra, but screeched to a sudden halt. Her visor turned back to a shade of violet, and she let out a horrified yell. Grabbing her head, she continued to yell out loud before she ran, incredibly quickly, past She-Ra and Catra into the Horde's fortress. Catra shrugged as she approached She-Ra, who had gotten back up from the ground.

"Cool friend, right? I wish she would have just finished what she started. Would have been easier, you know?" Catra said, flashing her baton at She-Ra. The princess groaned a bit, not wanting to fight anymore, but she knew she had to find Chronera. Something was obviously wrong with her, especially with her visor changing back to normal at the very last second.

* * *

"How could I do that… How could I almost kill her?!" Zi-O thought to herself, as she stumbled around the hallways of the Horde fortress. "What was I thinking? I don't know… All I felt was rage."

As she stumbled around, she found herself in a total daze. Nothing seemed real, as her vision blurred.

"Why would I hurt her? She is my ally!" Zi-O said to herself.

"_Is she?_" Oma Zi-O asked her, suddenly appearing in her field of vision.

"She is! That's why…"

"_She is not your ally! She cares more for the lives of the Horde than she does of those who are harmed by the Horde!_" Oma Zi-O replied, clapping his hands together a bit. "_How deluded are you? You know that only our power can stop the Horde. Not even She-Ra, alone, could handle a simple attack on Brightmoon. She is weak. You are not_."

"Get out of my head!" Zi-O yelled, punching ahead and stumbling into another room. She shook her head a bit and looked around. Oma Zi-O was gone, but instead there was a giant wasp man standing in the room with her. Confusion overset her mind, as she tilted her head. The wasp man did the same.

It was an Another Rider, Another TheBee.

"Oh well, I didn't think these things could get any uglier than the skeleton knight, but…a giant wasp? Even creepier," Zi-O said to herself, as Another TheBee hissed at her. It ran incredibly quick, enough to knock Zi-O off balance. Having been struck several times in the back, Zi-O fell over. She groaned loudly, as the wasp soon came to a screeching halt. How could anything move that fast?

Getting up, she tried to throw several punches at the monster, but it was moving way too quickly for her. Pursing her lips a little bit, she tried to catch up to the monster, but it was no use. Another TheBee knocked her over onto a desk, and she groaned loudly once more. Her hand soon touched a rather familiar shape, which she grabbed and looked at.

"A Ridewatch…? This doesn't look like the one Woz described… It might help though!" Zi-O said, getting back up and activating the Ridewatch.

_Drive!_

She attached it to her belt, before spinning it counter clockwise as per the usual.

_Rider Time! Kamen Rider~Zi-O! Armor Time! Drive! Driveeeeeeeeee!_

A holographic tire wheel appeared behind her, holding the armor parts for the Drive Armor. She ran forward as the armor moved forward and attached itself to her body, her new visor reading out the word 'Drive' in the unknown language. Two large Shift Cars were on her wrists each, and she overall had a red-white coloring to most of her armor. A large pair of tires were mounted on her shoulders.

Unbeknownst to either combatant, cameras positioned in the lab's ceiling were capturing their entire fight.

"I've got it together… My brain cells are in top gear!" Zi-O said, as the Another Rider hissed and began to move quickly once again.

Zi-O Drive Armor instinctively knew how to move as quickly as possible, as if she were driving the Tridoron at top speed. She could even hear Mr. Belt in the back of her head speaking to her… She shook her head a bit. Those memories didn't belong to her, but they did give her an idea.

Moving almost as fast as Another TheBee was, Zi-O grabbed onto Another TheBee and zoomed right out of the lab. The wasp man hissed loudly as he attempted to break free of Zi-O's grasp. It was all for naught, however, as she was definitely stronger than him at the moment.

She kicked him to the side, and dropped him on the ground out in a hallway outside of the lab.

"Let's finish this, shall we?" Zi-O asked, leaning forward a bit. She hit the buttons on both of the Ridewatches before spinning the belt once more.

_Finish Time! Drive! The Finishing Time Break!_

Wheels that belonged to Kamen Rider Drive suddenly began flying from her wheel-shoulder pads. They struck the Another Rider several times, entrapping him in the wheels, before Zi-O came zooming by, punching him as hard as she could. The Another Rider groaned before it exploded in a ball of flames, dropping to the ground and transforming back into the Horde soldier known as Kyle.

Zi-O scoffed a little bit as she approached the unconscious Horde soldier, summoning her Edge of Time to her hands. She was going to get answers about the Kabuto Ridewatch no matter what.

Kneeling down, Zi-O grabbed Kyle by his collar and lifted him up. She started to shake him to get him to wake up.

"Hey! Hey, wake up! I need to talk to you!"

She shook him even more aggressively but then all of a sudden everything froze.

"I should really ask you not to manhandle my property, Demon Princess."

Swartz approached and Zi-O looked at him.

"Who...who are you...?" Zi-O struggled to ask.

"My name is Swartz, a Time Jacker."

"Time Jacker!?" Woz had warned them about the Time Jackers. "Did you freeze time!?"

"Yes, and it looks like you've yet to gain an immunity. Your consciousness, though, is immune," Swartz observed. He reached inside of Kyle and took out the TheeBee Another Ridewatch and hit its switch.

_TheBee!_

"What are you after?" Zi-O demanded.

"The same thing you're after," Swartz answered as he put the reactivated Ridewatch back inside of Kyle. "We'll be seeing each other again, Demon Princess." Swartz then walked away and once he was gone time restarted again.

Kyle's eyes snapped open and he screamed as he once again transformed into Another TheBee.

_TheBee!_

* * *

She-Ra was putting up a hell of a fight as she dealt with Catra and her robotic sentries. They were easily taking a ton of damage, and with Catra taking pot shots at her from a safe distance. Catra always liked to play dirty, whether it was mentally, emotionally, or physically.

"Getting tired yet, Adora?" Catra asked, firing her blaster off at She-Ra, who deflected it with her sword. She was getting tired, especially after the beating she took at Chronera's hands. Something was not right with Chronera, it was as if she were being possessed by her rage as opposed to simply being angry.

"Your friend left you behind, kinda like how you left me. But I got stronger from it," Catra said, taking another dirty shot at She-Ra, who took the hit. She grunted in pain, but kept fighting the robotic sentries. They were incredibly advanced, and She-Ra wondered who could possibly be building these in the Fright Zone. "Hell, with how crazy she was acting, she's probably already dead!" Catra cackled a little bit, causing She-Ra to glare at her in anger.

"Just shut up for once, Catra!" She-Ra yelled, sending several mystical blasts from her sword at the robotic sentries. As she leapt up in the air, the robotic sentries aimed their own weaponry at the Princess of Power. She-Ra smiled a bit as she flew back down toward the ground, and did a spin attack with her sword, while maximizing the energy it released.

In a beautiful and rather spectacular sight as the robotic sentries began to spark, before lighting on fire. She-Ra was definitely tired… And it didn't get any better as more sentries appeared on sight. She-Ra backed away and closed her eyes. Without her friends, this was just a battle asking to be lost. She bit her lip, knowing that she had to retreat.

She-Ra had watched how Zi-O had ridden the bike, and she got on it.

"Running away again, Adora? How typical. Not really surprising. You're really used to running away and abandoning your friends!" Catra spat violently, as She-Ra rode off back towards the Whispering Woods. Catra smiled a bit, knowing this was a great victory. Just like when they had won over Entrapta after she had been left behind, all she had to do was manipulate this Zi-O into doing exactly what she wanted.

* * *

Entrapta was back in her lab and looking over the most recent surveillance footage. She did not even notice the mess. She held a glass of fizzy cola with her left pigtail while her digital recorder was held to her mouth with her right pigtail.

_Rider Time! Kamen Rider~Zi-O! Armor Time! Drive! Driveeeeeeeeee!_

"It would appear the Rebellion has gained a new member who possesses equipment capable of utilizing the watch's mysterious properties! Subject Zi-O was able to use it to generate a new suit of armor to augment their abilities!" She paused the video and zoomed in on Zi-O's belt. "Their abilities seem to be centred on this belt! I must know more! If I could acquire that belt and find out how it works, maybe I could duplicate it somehow!"

It saddened her that she lost a precious family heirloom, but to finally see what it could do was worth it. She also found a new subject to study.

"Who are you, Kamen Rider Zi-O?"

* * *

A/N: Another thanks to KR Chrome for helping co-write and edit this chapter! Enjoy!


	5. Chapter 4: Lord of the Speed 2006

Before Queen Angella made Chronera her daughter's bodyguard, she had summoned the Captain of her royal guard to ask him about the future Princess of Time's character. She needed to know if she was suitable for the job.

"Captain, what can you tell me about Chronera personally?" Queen Angella inquired.

"Chronera's always been a model soldier, Your Majesty. She's disciplined, hardworking, and loyal," the Captain of the Royal Guard answered.

"So, she has never been difficult then."

"Actually, to be honest, Chronera used to have trouble controlling her anger."

"She had anger issues?"

"We've given her counseling and she's kept her anger under control, but after what she went through as a child that kind of rage just simmers inside. A few times during her early years, whenever she got frustrated, she would fly into a rage and lose control. I've had to discipline her a few times and get her help to control her anger," the Captain explained. She remembered how a younger Chronera got frustrated during a sparring match.

"And the source of this rage is her grudge against the Horde," Queen Angella concluded.

"Your Majesty, Chronera's a good kid, but this anger of hers makes her unpredictable and it's why I've never allowed her to fight on the frontlines against the Horde. She's disciplined where it counts, but when the Horde is concerned, she's not emotionally stable and I'm afraid of what her anger would make her do."

* * *

Back in the Horde Fortress, Zi-O just had a first encounter with a Time Jacker, Swartz. She now knew what they were capable of as Swartz froze time. He then reactivated Another TheBee whom she had just defeated.

"Alright, I beat you once, I can beat you again," Zi-O said. That was true, but according to Woz, she needed the correct Ridewatch to beat an Another Rider. This probably meant that she would need Kamen Rider Kabuto's power to beat Another TheBee for good.

Another TheBee buzzed. However, instead of attacking her, it sped off in the blink of an eye.

"Hey, stop!" Zi-O shouted but Another TheBee was long gone. She clicked her tongue in annoyance. Finding Another TheBee the first time had only been due to luck. Now she would have to go and hunt it down and behind enemy lines no less.

If only she had some way to track Another Riders. As she mused on her next course of action, she failed to notice as a spherical robot snuck up behind her on its four spider-like legs. When she finally realized she was no longer alone, it was too late. She turned and her vision was blinded by a bright red light before everything faded to black.

* * *

_"Could you take care of her?"_

_A royal guard had brought a little girl to an orphanage in Brightmoon._

_"Oh, my," the kindly old orphanage caretaker, aka Granny, knelt down to look at the girl. "What happened to her?"_

_"The Horde attacked her village. She was the only survivor."_

* * *

_"I want to join the Rebellion!"_

_"Sorry, but you're too young."_

* * *

_"I want to join the Rebellion!"_

_"You again? Go home."_

* * *

_"Let me join the Rebellion!"_

_"What part of 'no' don't you understand?"_

* * *

_"Seriously, kid. Go home."_

_"I'm not leaving until you let me join!"_

_"Okay, okay, fine! I'll take to my CO if you can join!"_

_After dealing with this everyday for two whole years, they allowed a child to join. The guard thought the little girl would never last basic training. However, she was determined and focused like nothing else mattered. She did collect a whole lot of clocks, though._

_The ticking always brought her comfort._

* * *

Chronera came to when she felt some taps on her cheek.

"Ugh..." she groaned and then looked up to see Catra grinning at her.

"Hey, wakey wakey, Sleeping Beauty."

"Huh? What...?" When Chronera finally came to, she found herself shackled and chained to a wall. "How did I get here!?"

"Emily found you and knocked you out," Catra answered. "And now you're our prisoner."

"If you are going to torture me for information, then just do it. It'll be pointless," Chronera challenged.

"Wow, a prisoner asking for it," Catra took out her stun baton which crackled. Chronera began to sweat. "But, no. I mean, I could, but then you'd just tell me what I wanted to know just to make it stop." She turned it off and held it against Chronera's chin. "It'd be fun, but not really effective."

"Lady Adora will come for me," Chronera said.

"Adora abandoned you," Catra countered. "She left you behind."

"It was a tactical retreat then," Chronera argued. "As we speak, she's planning a rescue."

"Wow, you really believe that, don't you?" Catra questioned.

"Where are my things?" Chronera asked.

"Oh, your stuff? I took them then gave them to a friend to look at. Honestly, you've got some really fancy toys." Catra laughed a bit, enjoying toying with her prisoner. "I can you and me… we're gonna have a fun time!"

* * *

"You left her behind!?"

Adora had returned to Brightmoon and quickly gone to wake Glimmer up. After Adora finished explaining what happened, the Princess of Brightmoon was now wide awake.

"I was overwhelmed and she just rushed inside. I couldn't do anything," Adora argued, feeling just as badly about losing Chronera to the Horde as Glimmer probably felt, if not worse.

"And she even swore she wouldn't do this," Glimmer facepalmed and then she took deep breaths. "Okay, Okay, here's what we're going to do: we'll grab Bow and then go and rescue Chronera. I know it's late, but we can't wait."

"Catra's probably interrogating her right now," Adora frowned. "Or worse…"

Adora had not told Glimmer about how she and Chronera had fought. Adora especially wasn't about to tell her that their friend just went berserk when she tried to stop her from killing Catra.

"This is bad! This is bad! This is really really bad!" Glimmer said, biting her nails a bit. She wasn't panicking. She definitely wasn't starting to panic after what Adora just told her. Okay, maybe she was, but for good reason! They had to get her back. They couldn't lose another friend like they had lost Entrapta. Especially after they finally started becoming friends and not just mutual princess acquaintances.

"I know it is, but we can't just rush in this late! I'm sorry, Glimmer. I wish I had a better answer for you, Glimmer."

"Okay just breathe, Glimmer, just breathe." Glimmer said, as she took deep breaths. Could it wait until the morning? She honestly didn't know.

"Glimmer, I know you're worried, but Chronera will be alright," Adora said reassuringly.

* * *

Entrapta had a crazed look in her eyes as she held the Ziku-Driver in her hands. Catra had gotten it for her. She was mean sometimes but she was a good friend who always got her the best gifts.

"Oh, this is amazing! Unknown tech! Can't wait to see what makes this baby tick!" Entrapta cackled. It was like she was on a sugar high, but it was hard to tell.

"That's nice," Scorpia yawned. She was just as happy and excited, but it was also getting late.

"It is nice! Now I know how these watches are supposed to work!"

On the table were the Ridewatches Chronera had collected, which also included the Drive Ridewatch.

"From what I've observed, this belt syphons a mysterious energy from the watches to augment the user with a suit of armor. It would appear the watch bearing Zi-O's image creates the default from while additional watches can augment it. Oh, I need to see what makes this thing ticks! I need my tools!" Entrapta was going to have so much fun.

* * *

"You and Lady Adora were friends. I can understand why she cares about you," Chronera said.

"Yeah, but not enough to stay," Catra frowned. "Well, her leaving ended up being good for me. Now I'm second-in-command of the Horde."

"Second-in-command to a group of murderers," Chronera scoffed, rolling her eyes a bit. To be captured in her most hated place was certainly ironic.

"You really hate us, don't you?" Catra asked, raising an eyebrow towards the prisoner.

"How can I not? You're evil and you destroy everything you touch," Chronera answered angrily.

"Is that really what you believe?" Catra once again asked.

"I was there when your army destroyed my village. What else can you call an army that just attacks a civilian village?" Chronera spat violently from her mouth, rage building up in her.

"Ohoho that seems to make you really angry. The Horde does what it needs to do, and it's easier not to question the… morally ambiguousness of war. After all, you said it yourself, in war there are casualties." Catra stretched a bit and yawned. After years of abuse by the hands of Shadow Weaver, Catra could care less about every little sob story that passed her by. That's just how things worked. People got screwed over, end of story. She didn't bother to say anymore, as she walked out of the room where Chronera was.

* * *

Catra entered Entrapta's lab, which had been more or less put back together as it usually should look. That wasn't saying much though for how dirty and messy it was.

"Scorpia, I need to talk with Entrapta. Can you look after our prisoner?" Catra asked, blasting through the door.

"Sure! You got it!" Scorpia, happy as ever, left the room, leaving Catra alone with the inventor.

"So, you managed to learn anything about our prisoner?" Catra asked.

"Well, I learned that her equipment is not First Ones' tech but it's no less amazing," Entrapta said with a smile. "Based on my observation, that belt uses the watches to generate a suit of power armor that greatly enhances the wearer's physical performance."

"Oh, really?" Catra was interested and she picked up the Ziku-Driver. Something like this could be useful to the Horde. "So, can anyone use it?"

"Unfortunately, no. It seems to have some kind of biometric security system. Basically, only she can use it. Nobody else. It's really genius."

Catra frowned. So it was pretty much useless for anyone else.

"Well that's just great!" Catra complained, throwing her hands up into the air.

"But all is not lost! If I just have a little more time with it, I could whip up a way to reverse engineer it! Then we'd be all golden!"

"That's what I like to hear." Catra said, throwing her hands down and smiling. Everything might turn out her way, after all.

* * *

"Hi, I'm Scorpia. Are you comfortable?"

Chronera scowled in response.

"OK, that's a stupid question. So, do you need anything? Water or food? I'm not sure if I can offer you to use our bathroom. I mean, I doubt Catra will be happy if I let you go."

Chronera remained silent.

"Wow, you really don't like talking. That's kinda rude." Scorpia sat down next to Chronera. "So, I heard that you fought She-Ra. Really wish I could've seen that. Would've been so cool."

"Is this some new form of torture?" Chronera finally spoke.

"Wow, she does speak!" Scorpia's eyes lit up. "So, what's your name?"

"Chronera, former royal guard of Brightmoon." Chronera said flatly.

"I'm Scorpia, Force Captain in the Horde. Nice to meet you." Scorpia was ever the friendly Force Captain, even when it came to their prisoners.

Chronera cocked an eyebrow. She was expecting anything but not this.

"Anyway, we have your stuff and it looks cool. Can't believe there was anyone else with something like my watch," Scorpia said.

"Wait, what do you mean?"

"Oh, this." Scorpia took out her Kabuto Ridewatch and showed it to Chronera.

"You have a Ridewatch!?"

"Oh, is that what it's called?"

"How do you have it?"

"Oh, my parents gave it to me when I was a kid before the Horde landed in our kingdom. I've had it ever since."

Chronera began to connect the dots.

"You're a princess."

"Yeah, I am."

"How...how could a princess of Etheria join the Horde?"

"Well, to be honest, we weren't given much of a choice."

"But you could've fought, resisted. You could've driven them away!"

"If we did that, our people would've gotten hurt. It was just easier to surrender and let them set up base."

"And thus allowing the Horde to murder innocent people as long as your people stay safe," Chronera said in disgust. "You should be ashamed of yourselves, you cowards."

This, this finally got Scorpia angry.

"I lost everything to the Horde." Chronera continued, before she could listen to anything Scorpia had to say. "Everything that mattered. My village was just a village, nothing of importance, so we didn't get a chance to submit to the Horde. They ravaged everything. They killed, they imprisoned everyone who mattered to me in my life. Submitting to tyranny is just as bad as… It doesn't matter." Chronera closed her eyes and simply shrugged, allowing her tiredness to overtake her. There was no use talking to these people. They would never understand. \

Scorpia didn't know what to say, so she didn't. She couldn't be completely angry, but it was all her family could do to protect their people. It was the correct choice… Right?

* * *

Another TheBee was on the hunt. Due to its ability to Clock Up, it could move undetected. It needed to find the Ridewatch as Master Swartz had commanded it.

He entered a room and found Chronera asleep while shackled to the wall. Sitting against the wall, also asleep, was Scorpia. Another TheBee spotted the Kabuto Ridewatch in Scorpia's possession.

Another TheBee went to take the Ridewatch when Scorpia suddenly threw a punch in her sleep. Another TheBee recoiled from the strike. Her tail also seemed to have a mind of its own and stood like a snake that was ready to strike.

This may not be as easy as it looked.

* * *

Catra and Entrapta needed more information from Chronera, as much as they hated to admit it. As they walked down the hallways of the Horde lair, they saw Scorpia being thrown out of the room that Chronera was imprisoned in.

"Oh great!" Catra yelled, running forward and checking in on the Horde Force Captain. Unconscious, but breathing. That was good. Breathing was good. She turned to face what had thrown Scorpia. Had their prisoner escaped?

Instead, she was met face to face with a horrifying sight. Catra was never particularly fond of bugs, let alone wasps, so being faced with a giant one was not high on her priority list.

"What is this thing!?" Catra yelled as Another TheBee stood in front of her, her ears sticking up straight.

"Oh, that? That was the monster Zi-O fought earlier," Entrapta answered, not batting an eye at the giant wasp man.

"And you didn't think to tell me about it!?" Catra yelled, pulling out her baton to fight the giant wasp monster.

"Oh, I must've forgot." Entrapta shrugged a bit, and Catra sighed in retaliation.

"Just get Scorpia out of here while I deal with our intruder!" Entrapta saluted with her pigtails, picking the scorpion girl up off the ground with them, before getting back to her lab.

Catra did her best to fight the giant insect, but it wasn't going too well. It was moving way too fast for her to do any damage to it. As it ran off after Entrapta, Catra groaned and ran after it as fast as she could. She was lithe and agile, sure, but that didn't mean she could move at such sonic speeds.

* * *

Chronera soon woke up to the sound of someone approaching her. It was her captors, no doubt. Only a moment later, however, she was proven wrong by a familiar and annoying voice.

"You seem to be in a bind, My Princess." Woz said, waltzing up to the Princess of Time.

"Woz, how did you-? Never mind, just break me free!" Chronera had come to accept there were some things not worth getting into. At least Woz had come to prison break her.

"With pleasure, My Princess." Woz replied, moving his scarf freely. It had to be some sort of magic to move fabric with such precision and force. His scarf quickly whipped at the chains, shattering them and freeing Chronera from her imprisonment.

"Thank you, Woz." Chronera said, happy to be freed.

"I suppose it's time we took our leave. We appear to have overstayed our welcome." Woz said, frowning a bit.

"Not yet, Woz. I need to get my Ridewatches and my belt back. I also need to get Kabuto's Ridewatch. I came to get it and I'm not leaving without it."

"Splendid resolve, My Princess." Woz replied, opening his book, which had a detailed layout of the Horde lair. Again, Chronera didn't question Woz's foreknowledge of anything thrown his way. "I would assume they brought your gear to the laboratory… Follow me at once, My Princess!"

Woz led Chronera out into the hallway, and the two quickly made their way down towards the laboratory.

"So where are Lady Adora and the others?" Chronera asked, raising an eyebrow to where her allies' whereabouts were.

"They are, last time I checked, arguing about how to rescue you. So I came myself, since that seemed to be the most efficient way to sneak in without being caught." Woz replied, turning a corner. "It should be right this way!"

They saw Another TheBee attacking Catra, while Entrapta watched and took data on the fight. Catra was thrown, much like a ragdoll, towards the hallway wall. She let out a groan, as Chronera looked down at her.

"Not so tough, now, are we?" Chronera wished she could just end things now, but she had bigger fish to fry. She broke into the lab, ignoring the Another Rider and Catra, who slowly got up from the ground.

"You!? How did you get loose!?" The second-in-command of the Horde pulled out her baton, only to be disarmed by Woz.

"You shall not harm My Princess." Woz said, taking the baton for himself. "You'll deal with me for the moment."

"You're the prisoner…! How lovely, I can get some real combat data now!" Entrapta said, moving from side to side in excitement. It only took a few moments for Chronera to notice the Ridewatches, including the Kabuto Ridewatch, and the Ziku-Driver. No one got in her way as she picked up the belt, attaching it to her waist. She put the Drive Ridewatch in one of the empty slots of her holders, before turning to face Another TheBee.

"This ends here and now, Another Rider." Chronera said, facing the monster. She spun the dials on both Ridewatches and activated them simultaneously.

_Zi-O!_

_Kabuto!_

"Here goes nothing!" Chronera yelled, attaching the Ridewatches to their respective rails, before spinning the Driver around counter clockwise. "Transform!"

_Rider Time! Kamen Rider~ Zi-O! Armor Time! Change Beetle! Kabuto!_

As her default armor appeared, the Kabuto Armor pieces attached to Zi-O's body while generating a hexagonal energy field. Twin robotic beetles mounted on her shoulders as a rhinoceros beetle horn attached to her helmet. The chestplate was a shining crimson too. Her visor now read 'Kabuto'.

As usual, Woz opened up her tome to introduce His Princess' new form.

"Rejoice you worthless peons and look upon her with awe! She who has inherited the power of another Rider! The future ruler of time and space! Her name is Kamen Rider Zi-O: Kabuto Armor!"

Zi-O held the Edge of Time in a reverse grip in her left hand then pointed at the sky with her right.

"Grandmother said this: Even in a world full only with enemies, there will always be someone you must protect!" Zi-O Kabuto Armor yelled, facing Another TheBee. Another TheBee attempted to outspeed Zi-O, but she quickly zoomed to keep up with the creature.

Armed with a giant stinger attached to its wrist, Another TheBee tried to strike her down as quickly as it could to obtain the Kabuto Ridewatch. Quickly zooming past Another TheBee, Zi-O blocked its attack with her sword, before striking it hard to cut the stinger off.

"Try this on for size!" She yelled, switching the sword to its gun mode, before firing off a furious volley of blasts at the wasp. It screeched out in pain, several volleys of energy bullets piercing its exoskeleton. "Not so tough now that we can both Clock Up to the same speed, huh? I'll strike through you with all my power!"

Zi-O grabbed Another TheBee and sped off incredibly quickly out of the room and into the hallway. She kicked it in the abdomen, causing it to grunt over in pain. Smiling underneath her helmet, she jumped into the air and kicked it as hard as she could, sending it into the wall. It groaned loudly, as Zi-O struck it with a fury of slices.

Another TheBee began to back up in fear, its host's personality showing. It knew this wasn't a fight it could win, as Zi-O placed her sword away and hit the buttons on both Ridewatches.

"Let's finish this, shall we?" Zi-O questioned.

_Finish Time! Kabuto! Clock Time Break!_

"Rider… Kick!" Zi-O said, turning around as great amounts of electricity channeled in her foot. Another TheBee ran at her in a futile attempt to stop her attack, only to be met with a simple roundhouse kick to the head, sending it flying down to the ground. "And that's all she told."

TheBee screamed as it exploded but instead of a monster, Kyle collapsed to the cold metal floor of the lair. The Another Ridewatch came out of him and rolled over to stop by Entrapta's feet.

"Oh, what's this?" Entrapta went to pick it up but she never got the chance as it sparked and then shattered to pieces. "Aw..."

"My Princess, shall we go?" Woz asked.

"I'd rather not spend another moment in this place," Zi-O answered venomously.

Smiling, Woz whipped his scarf around the two of them. It expanded and spun around before the two of them vanished. Catra couldn't believe a single thing that had just happened, scoffing a little bit. The Rebellion just had to have that sort of thing, didn't they?

* * *

Both Woz and Chronera reappeared at the entrance of Castle Brightmoon.

"It's good to be back home," Chronera said. "And thank you, Woz."

"It's my pleasure to serve, My Princess," Woz bowed. "And this should be a personal victory for you as well. Not only were you successful in infiltrating the Horde's lair, you managed to escape as well. They should learn now not to underestimate you."

"I should go see the others before I go to bed. I don't want them to panic," Chronera said to Woz.

"Chronera!"

She was startled when she heard her name being called and was not prepared when Glimmer and Bow hugged the Princess of Time tightly. Adora stepped up to them as Chronera began to look uncomfortable.

"You're back," Adora said, relieved. "How did you escape?"

"Woz helped me," Chronera answered and found him absent. "And now he's gone." Well, that was typical Woz.

"We were so worried!" Glimmer confessed.

"I'm sorry," Chronera apologized.

"And we were going to go rescue you too!" Bow added. "Queen Angella just sent us off."

"Well, I can just tell Her Majesty that I'm fine," Chronera said, smiling. "I also managed to get these." She showed them the Kabuto and Drive Ridewatches. Chronera knew she was in for a large amount of yelling for disobeying orders, but right now her small lived victory is all she cared about. Although when she looked to Adora, she could only look down.

Adora knew that look. It was a look of shame. They would surely have to talk about their fight eventually, but for now, Chronera needed to report to Queen Angella and tell her what happened. Chroenra, broke from the other three, and headed off to meet with her superior.

* * *

"It is unfortunate that we could not question the prisoner as we wished to…" Entrapta said, sighing a little bit. She took a quick sip of her fizzy soda, before turning to the side.

Entrapta looked up at her computer screen which showed the Ziku-Driver's schematics. Catra was wounded, but bandaged up and smiling now.

"We got what we wanted in the end, though, didn't we?" Catra said, laughing a little bit. Everything was going according to plan, even if they were minus two Ridewatches. They had the data from her previous experiments, and now they had full schematics for the belt. Nothing could be sweeter.

* * *

"According to this book, Chronera, average royal guard, was destined to become the Demon King of time, Oma Zi-O. In order to obtain her birthright, she obtains the Kabuto and Drive Ridewatches, becoming stronger as she obtains more power! However, she came to blows with She-Ra, Princess of Power, and the two are now at odds with each other on how to handle the Horde." Woz said, reading from his book in the darkness. His eyebrows raised as he continued to read. "This is impossible! Could it be… They shall reunite to fight a new Another Rider…? No… my book says… It can't be… a joker clad in navy!?"

* * *

A/N: Another thanks to KR Chrome for helping edit and co-write this chapter! Enjoy and let me know what other things you'd like to see next!


	6. Chapter 5: Blade and Relaxation 3068

Chronera could not believe the earful she was getting from the Queen. It was mostly what she was expecting to hear, to be quite honest. Going AWOL like that, breaking her promise to Glimmer, and worrything them all like that, she expected things to be much worse.

"What you did was reckless and dangerous! You also deceived my daughter when you promised you would not go to the Fright Zone? Now, what do you have to say in your defense?" Queen Angella was a little bit more than furious at her newest member of the alliance. How could she go out and risk her own life like that? All to obtain a Ridewatch?

"I simply did as I thought was correct, Your Majesty. Once Woz told me the location of the Kabuto Ridewatch, I could not sit by idly while the Horde could possibly be making use of its powers." Chronera stated, not even attempting to defend herself. "What I did was wrong, I realize that, and I apologize for breaking my promise and endangering myself. However, I still believe that it was the best decision. Not only did I acquire the Kabuto Ridewatch but the Drive Ridewatch as well."

"And what if they had done something to you? You got out of this situation on pure luck." Queen Angella responded, although she was impressed that they retrieved two more Ridewatches. She shook her head a bit. "Your former Captain warned me about this. He told me you had… anger problems."

Chronera's demeanor changed almost immediately after hearing this. She looked shameful. Her most fatal flaw was her rage, and she knew that already. She could not deny it.

"I… I do have problems with my rage."

"And I know the reason why. You hate the Horde."

Chronera could only nod in response. She did hate the Horde, more than anything else in the world. Her hatred was at the very core of her being, having been her driving force since she was a little girl.

"Chronera, I understand. The Horde took my husband from me. However, you must not allow that hatred consume you."

"I… I can't help it." Chronera looked guiltier than usual. "I allowed my rage to consume me when I did battle with the Horde at their lair. Everything went red, I could only see through my rage. I attacked Lady She-Ra in my rage, even knowing that it was wrong." Chronera bit her lip a bit. "If anything, I should not be allowed back out in the field after what I did to her. I…deserve to be imprisoned and stripped of my status."

"That seems a bit extreme. It was partly my fault for not keeping better tabs on you once I learned of your anger. And I should not have allowed Woz to inform you of the location of the Ridewatch as well." Queen Angella then realized something as she spoke. "The Drive Ridewatch… How did you obtain it?"

"I found it in a lab belonging to crazed inventor who works for the Horde." Chronera said, sighing a bit. "She was… odd. She walked around on her pigtails, and didn't bother to stop me from retrieving my gear when I arrived on the scene."

Angelle's eyes widened. A crazed inventor...Walking around on her pigtails...

"This inventor, did she have purple hair?" Angella questioned. Chronera nodded again. "Entrapta..."

"Your Majesty, you don't mean _Princess _Entrapta, do you?"

"Yes, I'm afraid so."

"But that's impossible! Princess Entrapta was lost during the mission to rescue Sir Bow and Lady Glimmer! And even if she were alive, she wouldn't side with the Horde! She was a member of the Princess Alliance…!" Chronera's mind raced and she picked up on several cues she had gotten from Catra. Abandonment… Loss… If Entrapta had survived her ordeal and the Princess Alliance failed to retrieve her… Then when Catra tried to convince Chronera that She-Ra had abandoned her, then it all made sense. Entrapta believed she was left for dead by the Princess Alliance. "Your Majesty, we need to rescue Princess Entrapta! We can't let the Horde keep her and use her skills to their advantage!"

"No, Chronera," Queen Angella denied.

"Your Majesty?" Chronera questioned.

"Listen, Chronera. It is unfortunate, but if Entrapta had indeed been taken captive and forced to work for the Horde then she would have found a way to get in contact with us. We need to consider the possibility that she has defected."

"Then should we not inform the Alliance?" Chronera asked.

"No, at least not yet. Can you imagine what would happen if they learned that another Etherian princess has joined the Horde?" Queen Angella asked.

"There would be a panic," Chronera realized.

"I will inform the Alliance when the time is right. For now, we must keep this to ourselves. Now, back to your punishment. You will not be allowed to leave Castle Brightmoon without permission or an escort. However, if an emergency were to arise, such as an Another Rider, then you will be deployed to neutralize the threat."

"Very well, Your Majesty."

"Chronera, it's very late. We all need our rest. We will discuss this later."

"As you wish, Your Majesty. Good night."

"Good night, Chronera."

* * *

Chronera returned to her bedroom and sighed as she closed the door.

"Being a princess is hard," she murmured. There were so many new rules of conduct for her to memorize, but that was not the hard part. The hard part was trying to live up to the role. It wasn't just a title, but a responsibility, and one she was not sure she was ready for. All her life, she thought she was just an ordinary person, but clearly that was not the case. She was the heir to the Demon King Oma Zi-O, the Overlord of Time and Space. Not the best title to shoulder, but it was hers now.

She went to her table to put away her things. She put down the Ziku-Driver and then she put the Ridewatches on the storage rack. She looked at all the empty spots on the rack. She had collected Kiva, Drive and Kabuto. That meant there were 16 of the Ridewatches left that she needed to gather. It was power that could help them destroy the Horde. However, she would need to find them all. According to Woz, they were in the possession of the princesses. She would have to convince them to relinquish them to her but demanding them would not be the best course of action and taking them by force was not an act she was willing to consider.

She would need to be patient and gather them when the time was right. Although, what would happen once she gathered them all? What power could all 19 Legendary Ridewatches grant her? It had to be great if her ancestor worked so hard to claim them all.

She did not want to walk in his footsteps, she did not want to rule Etheria. She just wanted to destroy the Horde so nobody else would suffer like she had.

"_You will save Etheria if you rule it_."

There was that voice again. She had not told Queen Angella about it.

Her ancestor, Oma Zi-O, the Demon King of Time. She did not know much about him. She could ask Woz but he was biased and would only sing him praises. Woz would only tell her about Oma Zi-O's greatness. For him to earn the title 'Demon King' meant that he could not have been a good person. He would have been as terrible as the Horde.

Chronera dressed for bed. As she lay in bed, she started to sink into the soft mattress. It was like it was trying to swallow her up.

She was going to get a new bed. These canopy beds were too soft and not as comfortable as her bed back at the barracks. The ones at the barracks reminded her of the bunk beds at Granny's orphanage.

* * *

"It would appear that the Rebellion has gained a powerful new member," Hordak said as he reviewed the footage after listening to Catra's report. "First She-Ra and now this Kamen Rider Zi-O. Tell me, Catra, how do you rate her as a threat?"

"Honestly?" Catra responded. "She's powerful and dangerous but she's got a weakness."

"And what is this weakness?"

"She hates us and if anyone tries to stop her, even if they're her allies, she'll attack them too," Catra answered. "This could turn the Rebellion and the Princess Alliance against her."

"And these Ridewatches? You say she uses them to augment herself."

"That's right. Entrapa has the footage if you wish to review it, Lord Hordak."

"I think I will. Is there anything else?"

"Entrapta is working on reverse engineering Zi-O's belt. It's what allows her to access her armor and the power of these Ridewatches. If we can duplicate it then we could have a powerful weapon."

"Since your last plan was a near success then perhaps this one would allow us to finally crush Brightmoon and the Rebellion once and for all. Just don't fail me, Catra."

"I won't, Lord Hordak. You can count on me."

* * *

"You really don't remember anything, Kyle?" Catra questioned.

Kyle was strapped down on a table as Entrapa seemed to be performing scans on him. The blond was a bit freaked out, but after what he had gone through, this was fairly tame.

"I don't know what to tell you, Catra. I mean, yeah, I remember turning in to that thing but I don't know anything else," Kyle answered.

"And so we don't know the identity of this other intruder," Catra scowled. She did not like this. First, there was Zi-O and there also seemed to be this other faction that was working against her if the monster was any indication. What had she called it? An 'Another Rider'?

"Don't worry, Catra. I think I'll be able to get some answers. Now, hold still. This might sting," Entrapa held up some pretty sharp and dangerous instruments, causing Kyle to scream and then pass out.

"Entrapa, cutting open one of our soldiers isn't going to help us with this," Catra deadpanned. Kyle was useless but he was at least good as a distraction.

"Alright, fine. Maybe I can take a blood sample for analysis," Entrapta said. "But I did detect some strange residual energy from Kyle. That could give us some clues."

"So why do you still need a blood sample?"

"I need more data!"

"OK, fine. Just do what you do. Any progress with the reverse engineering Zi-O's belt?"

"The parts I'll need are hard to come by, unfortunately, but they can be substituted with things we can find in the Fright Zone. I'm just trying to understand how it can generate a suit of armor out of nothing."

"Magic," Scorpia suggested.

"Magic is just science we can't comprehend, like the First Ones' tech," Entrapa countered. "This belt is not First Ones' tech and it's unlike any tech I've ever seen."

"Well, figure it out then."

"Oh, I will." Entrapta seemed to salivate. This would be her greatest achievement yet.

* * *

Chronera woke up late the next day, past noon in fact.

"Rise and shine, My Princess!" Woz greeted.

Chronera stopped questioning Woz's appearance. She had grown used to it quickly.

She glanced at the clocks and saw the time. She grimaced. Back at the barracks, waking up so late was unacceptable. As a guard she always rose with the sun for het shift and during basic training she had grown use to waking up before sunrise for early morning training. The only time she overslept was whenever she had the night shift.

"I had the cook prepare a meal for you," Woz added, showing he was carrying a plate of food for her as she got out of bed. Her nightwear consisted of a black tank top and purple shorts.

"Thank you, Woz," Chronera said groggily. The food smelled good and she was hungry.

"Once you're done with your meal, you need to get dressed. We can then continue on your path as the future Demon King." Woz proclaimed as he set her meal down on her table.

"Woz, I've told you many times already that I do not intend to become the next Demon King."

"But you do intend to collect the Ridewatches."

"To destroy the Horde. _That's_ my only goal."

"And what if becoming the Demon King helps you achieve your goal?" Woz questioned. "As Oma Zi-O you would have no equal and the Horde would fall at your feet. The Horde could be wiped out with a wave of your hand."

That kind of power sounded tempting, but she did not want to rule Etheria. If she did then she would be no better than the Horde.

"_But if you ruled Etheria, you would be better than the Horde_."

"Let's forget about the Demon King for now. How about you tell me about where I can find the other Ridewatches," Chronera deflected.

"Very well, My Princess. Let's start with the Princess Alliance. Princess Perfuma of Plumeria possesses the Gaim Ridewatch. Next, Princess Mermista of Salineas has in her possession the Faiz Ridewatch. Princess Frosta of the Kingdom of Snows possesses the Hibiki Ridewatch. She'll be the hardest for you to persuade, My Princess."

"What about Princess Netossa and Princess Spinnerella?" Chronera inquired.

"Princess Netossa has the Ryuki Ridewatch and her lover Princess Spinnerella has the Double Ridewatch," Woz concluded. "So, My Princess, who shall be your next target?"

"First, do not refer to the princesses as 'targets'. Secondly, I'm confined to the palace unless it's an emergency. Queen Angella's orders," Chronera answered, sighing. "I need to apologize to Lady Adora too."

She had attacked her friend. She owed Adora an apology for her actions. But first, she needed to finish breakfast, take a bath and then get dressed for the day.

After finishing her morning ritual, Chronera stepped out of her bedroom to find Adora. She bumped into a familiar face in the hallway.

"Captain," Chronera saluted.

"Chronera, you don't have to salute me. I'm not your captain anymore. You're a princess. I should be bowing to you," the Captain said.

"There's no need for that, sir."

Chronera awkwardly lowered her hand and smiled. Her former captain had informed Queen Angella of Chronera's anger issues but the former guard could not fault him for that. He had a responsibility and Queen Angella had needed to know if she was worthy to be her daughter's bodyguard. Of course, back then, neither of them knew she would become the Princess of Time.

"So, how have you been?" the Captain asked. "I bet you didn't think you would become a princess."

"It's been an interesting transition. There's so many new rules I need to learn and memorize about being a princess," Chronera explained. "I may have to act as an ambassador instead when I was trained to guard ambassadors."

"Chronera, listen to me. You may not have chosen to become a princess, but for some reason you've become one. It's overwhelming, trust me. I know the feeling."

"How so?"

"Did you really think I chose to become Captain of the Royal Guard? Like you, I was a normal guard but I worked hard and my efforts were recognized and thus I was promoted. And you've worked so hard to become a guard that I know you have what it takes to be a princess."

"Thank you, sir." Chronera truly appreciated the kind words of her former CO.

"And drop by the barracks whenever you're free. You're still welcome there. You can catch up with some old friends," the Captain encouraged, patting Chronera on the shoulder. He then bowed. "Princess."

"Captain," Chronera bowed back and they went their separate ways.

Chronera remembered her last day as a guard. The guards all learned she had become a princess. They had a Going Away Party for her and she had enjoyed herself.

Chronera continued on her way to find Adora and actually came across her in the hallway. When they locked eyes, they paused, unable to say anything.

Someone needed to say something first, it seemed, which was a challenge as neither of them was sure what to say.

"Chronera..."

"Lady Adora..."

They had spoken at the same time.

"You first," Adora said after the pause.

"Lady Adora, I apologize for my behavior and actions the other night," Chronera apologized. "My anger and hatred towards the Horde drove me to attack you. I know it's not an excuse, but I wish to make amends."

Adora rubbed the back of her head.

"Emotions were running pretty high that night and I understand, but we're all in this together. The Horde will do anything to break us apart. We're stronger when we're united."

"Yes, united. Has Her Majesty spoken to you?"

"Oh, yeah. She gave me an earful about sneaking out with you. She then grounded me."

"Yes, I'm confined to the castle unless it's an emergency as well."

"Must be rough then."

"We broke the rules and needed to be disciplined, Lady Adora."

"So, anyway, it's a good thing we did. You got a couple of new Ridewatches. That's good. And the Horde doesn't. That's even better."

"Yes, but I can't help but worry if I might become something worse than the Horde."

"You mean you're afraid you'll become like Oma Zi-O?"

"Woz keeps singing him praises so I know I'll get only a biased account," Chronera said. "If only there was someway I could access Oma Zi-O's history."

Adora considered bringing Chronera to Light Hope so she could get some answers. However, what if that was a bad idea? What if Chronera got freaked out after learning more about Oma Zi-O?

"Look, how about we go find Glimmer and Bow? I know we're grounded, but maybe there's something we could do together to keep your mind off your worries."

"Perhaps I do need a some R&R," Chronera agreed.

* * *

"Mom grounded you both too, huh?" Glimmer asked.

They were in Glimmer's room. The Princess of Brightmoon had been going over some military strategies when her two friends dropped by.

"Yes, Lady Glimmer," Chronera answered.

"You know, seeing it happen to someone else, is kinda funny," Glimmer remarked.

"Yes, I remember when Her Majesty grounded you," Chronera replied.

"Wait," Glimmer's eyes widened. "_You_ were there?"

"Wait, _Glimmer _got grounded?" Adora asked.

"I was the guard standing by the door," Chronera clarified. "I saw everything." Glimmer blushed. It had been embarrassing for her. "Also, if I were to be honest, though it might've been dangerous, you did the right thing."

"Thanks," Glimmer smiled. "It's good to be appreciated and Mom finally realises there's more I can do."

"She loves you. You can't fault her for that, not after what she's lost," Chronera said sympathetically.

"Yeah, I know. It's just I don't want to be treated like a child."

"You'll always be her child, but it's true that she needs to let you grow up and be your own person. I'm just afraid of my own future."

"You mean that Demon King 'prophecy'?" Glimmer asked skeptically. "Chronera, relax. From what I can see, you don't have a bad bone in your body. There's no way you could turn out like he did."

Adora did not comment on her fight with Chronera. Glimmer did not need to know how close their new friends had close to killing She-Ra.

"But this power could still corrupt me. It belonged to him, after all," Chronera frowned.

"It's your power now, Chronera, and I know you'll use it to do the right thing," Glimmer smiled.

"Glimmer's right. Just because someone says you're the Demon King's heir, that doesn't mean you gotta do what they say. It's your life, your destiny," Adora added, wanting to help Chronera steer away from her ancestor's path.

"Thanks," Chronera smiled appreciatively.

"Anyway, since you're both grounded, maybe we could hang out in the palace. You know, maybe play some board games or something."

"We often played cards in the barracks," Chronera recalled. "We even gambled."

"_You_ gambled?"

"Not money. Merely favors," Chronera clarified. "Like if you lost, you'd have to do a favor for the winners. I've managed to collect a few favors myself."

"What kind of favors?" Adora asked. "And what exactly can you ask?"

"Simple things. But I wouldn't show my hand in full, that would take away the fun of it all." Chronera replied, stretching a bit. She sighed a bit though. "For today, I think I would like to relax a bit."

"How about a picnic?" Glimmer suggested. "We can get Bow and Swift Wind to join us."

"What's a picnic?" Adora asked. Chronera and Glimmer sighed, but the princess was not surprised. Growing up in the Fright Zone, Adora did not even know what birthdays were so she would of course not know what a picnic was. She also thought about giving Adora a birthday party someday, but they needed a date. Maybe it could be the day Shadow Weaver had found and rescued her.

She would need to find that out from Adora. Hopefully, Shadow Weaver had told her that much.

* * *

Chronera has been described as being a bit uptight. However, on some occasions, she was willing to drop the usual serious demeanor and have fun. She had enjoyed herself during the festival so she could enjoy herself during a picnic.

As she and Adora were grounded, they could not leave the palace grounds. So, Glimmer and Bow set up their picnic on a spot on the grounds that was surrounded by trees and beautiful flowers. They also had food prepared by the royal cooks.

Oh, and they were joined by Swift Wind.

Sitting down, Chronera relaxed as she joined her friends for a picnic. Glimmer had asked the palace cooks to prepare delicious food and beverages for them.

"Been a long time since I've had a picnic," Chronera said nostalgically as she took a sandwich.

Bow caught what she said and decided to start a conversation.

"So you do like picnics," Bow smiled.

"I do," Chronera said. The group knew she had trouble talking about her past unprompted. "Granny used to take us out on picnics when I was younger."

"Granny?" Glimmer asked.

"Granny Goodheart. She's the caretaker and headmistress of the orphanage I stayed at," Chronera answered. "After I lost my home and family, I was brought to her. She took care of me until I joined the royal guard."

"So, you were raised by a sweet little old lady," Adora said. "That must've been nice."

"She's a wonderful person," Chronera smiled fondly. "And she understood where I was coming from. A lot of the children in the orphanage lost their families because of the Horde so it was good that there was a place for us. Not a lot of us war orphans can be so lucky." Chronera caught the looks everyone gave her and realized she was bringing down the mood. "I'm sorry. This was supposed to be fun." She grabbed a muffin and stuffed her mouth to stop herself from talking.

"I'm an orphan too," Adora confessed. "Shadow Weaver found me and raised me but she was never the nicest person."

"She was super scary," Bow said softly. "And a total psycho."

"Well, at least she's out of our hair," Glimmer said, relieved. She really did not want to meet Shadow Weaver again. That witch had tortured her.

"I'm surprised that you could grow up to be a decent person in spite of growing up in the Fright Zone, Lady Adora," Chronera said. "Surprised and relieved."

"I know. Knowing what the Horde really is like, I could've ended up way worse," Adora grimaced. She had been so innocent, so naive. And yet she managed to stay good. Maybe it was because of her friendship with Catra. She sighed as she remembered her ex-best friend, how their friendship just fell apart as they chose different sides in this war.

* * *

A man in a black suit approached the entrance of Castle Brightmoon. As soon as he got too close, the guards at the entrance crossed their spears to stop him from going further.

"Identify yourself and state your business," one of the guards said.

The man took off his shades and looked them in the eye. For some reason, his gaze froze them.

"I'm here to see someone."

* * *

"Go long, Swift Wind!" Bow threw the frisbee high into the air and Swift Wind caught it in his mouth. The flying horse landed and spat out the disk.

"OK, how about I throw it and you catch it?" Swift Wind challenged.

"Go ahead," Bow dared, grinning.

Chronera watched as she sat beside Glimmer and Adora who watched as well.

"This is nice. Relaxing," Adora stretched.

"Normally, I'd spend my R&R on fixing clocks," Chronera said. "Or go into town to find a new clock to add to my collection."

"Oh, so you go to the bazaar," Glimmer said.

"I do. It always has something for me," Chronera said. "Most of my collection was bought there."

"Hey, maybe we could all go and have a girls day out at the bazaar," Glimmer smiled. "Oh, and invite Bow too."

"But isn't a 'girls day out' just for girls?" Adora asked. "It's in the name."

"Well, Bow's my best friend, and he's practically one of the girls."

Suddenly, Brightmoon's alarm sounded. Chronera immediately reacted on reflex. As a former guard, she knew what that alarm meant. It meant the palace had been breached.

"Lady Glimmer!" Chronera grabbed Glimmer. "Quickly, we need to go back inside! There's an intruder!"

"Guys, I think that's the intruder," Bow pointed with his bow and arrow. Chronera, Glimmer and Adora saw what it was. The creature appeared to be covered in black skeletal armor with bits of green on its body. It's skull-like face was covered by a translucent green faceplate and it had a pair of antennae that stretched from its head to hang behind its head. It also wielded a sword.

"An Another Rider?" Adora questioned. It looked like one.

"Whatever it is, it's a threat, Lady Adora," Chronera answered as she strapped on her Ziku-Driver. She also activated her Ridewatch.

_Zi-O!_

"For the Honor of Greyskull!"

"Transform!"

_Kamen Rider~Zi-O!_

"Sir Bow, take Lady Glimmer to safety!" Zi-O ordered as she summoned her Edge of Time. "Well handle this! C'mon, Lady She-Ra!"

"C'mon, Glimmer! Let them handle this!" said Bow as she escorted the Princess of Brightmoon inside.

"Wait, Bow! Adora! Chronera!" Glimmer shouted in protest.

The Another Rider revealed a dagger and ran at the charging princesses. Sparks exploded as they clashed. The black Another Rider skillfully fought both the Princess of Power and Princess of Time, parrying their weapons. With a kick, he sent Zi-O tumbling.

Rising on one knee, Zi-O converted her Edge of Time to its Gun Mode and fired at the Another Rider. Her shots hit its chest and face, stunning it so She-Ra could strike with her Sword of Power. Zi-O then darted forward to join her, activating a Ridewatch at the same time.

_Armor Time! Drive! Driiiiiive!_

Clad in her Drive Armor, Zi-O's speed increased as she landed a punch that sent the Another Rider staggering. Together, the two princesses overwhelmed the Another Rider.

"Chronera, finish it!" She-Ra shouted after they sent the Another Rider flying.

"Alright!"

_Finish Time! Drive! The Finisher Time Break!_

Zi-O summoned the Shift Wheels and they bound the Another Rider before she jumped into the air. Instead of a punch, she delivered a flying kick. Her foot connected, resulting in an explosion, and Zi-O bounded off and performed a flip to land beside She-Ra.

"That takes care of it," said She-Ra as she raised her hand for a fist bump. Chronera recognized the gesture and returned it, bumping fists with her. "Now, let's see who this Another Rider really is."

The smoke cleared, revealing a man in a black suit and shades emerged. He looked oddly out of place in all of this. Almost as if he were form an entirely other culture altogether.

"Who are you?" She-Ra demanded. There was no doubt this was the Another Rider's human form.

The mysterious man removed his shades.

"Are you the Demon King?" the man said, slowly pointing his hand up towards Zi-O. She gulped, as she felt a feeling of dread emanating from him.

"And who's asking?" Zi-O asked as well, growing more and more uneasy as the man approached. The cut on his hand was bleeding bright green, which made her even more uneasy. "_What_ are you?"

The man reached inside his blazer, taking out a strange device. He held up a playing card and slid it into a slot that was on the device. Holding it up to his waist, more cards came out and wrapped around it before becoming a belt.

"My name is Kazuma Kenzaki." the man introduced himself as he gripped the handle on his buckle. "They used to call me _**Kamen Rider Blade**_."

She-Ra and Zi-O gasped.

"Kamen Rider…?"

"Blade…?"

"Henshin!"

_Turn Up!_

A holographic projection of a card with a stag beetle appeared before him, and he stepped through it causing armor to appear on his body. The silver and blue armor shined in the sun, his red eyes reflecting the two rebels before him. In his hand was a sword that held a deck of cards in its hilt.

"Show me, then… Will you truly bring about the end of this world?"

* * *

A/N: As always, a big thanks to KR Chrome for helping co-write this chapter and being all around cool B)


	7. Chapter 6: Royal Straight Flush 2004

"My Princess Chronera, the Future King of Time, is confronted by Kamen Rider Blade. Would she be able to overcome the challenge set by the Legendary Rider of the Spade, or will she fall. Honestly, I support my future Demon King. I am sure she will overcome any obstacle in her path to reaching Oma Zi-O's throne," Woz said as he slammed his book shut.

* * *

She-Ra and Zi-O backpedaled away in order to avoid the flurry of attacks from Blade. He was strong, way stronger than any of the Another Riders they had faced before. Was this the true power of a Kamen Rider in action?

"Why are you doing this?!" Zi-O yelled as she blocked a series of strikes from Blade's weapon with her own.

"To see for my own eyes what kind of ruler you will be!" Blade struck hard while keeping She-Ra at bay. He only seemed focused on fighting Zi-O and not She-Ra, which made him fight defensively against the Princess of Power.

He fanned out the cards on his arm-mounted Rouze Absorber, before choosing two specific cards: The Queen and the Jack of Spades. He held up his arm and inserted the Queen card into it, before sliding the Jack card through it.

_Absorb Queen! Fusion Jack!_

Suddenly, the silver armor on Blade's chest and faceplate became golden, and he gained a set of wings pertaining to the Eagle Undead's power. He spread his wings out, before taking flight into the air.

"You can fly too?! That seems unfair!" Zi-O yelled as she was struck several times by Blade's Jack form. He definitely had the advantage in this battle.

"Chronera!" She-Ra yelled, as she charged and slashed at him with her sword, but he easily parried it with his own.

"This world depends on you to protect it but can you protect it from a threat like her?" Blade asked She-Ra, kicking her back.

Zi-O was taking careful note of Blade as they fought. Those wings certainly gave him aerial superiority. In order to defeat him, she would need to clip them.

She had an idea.

She removed the Drive Ridewatch to replace it with another.

_Kabuto!_

With Kabuto's speed, she would be able to best Blade.

_Armor Time! Change Beetle! Kabuto!_

Decked in the Kabuto Armor, Zi-O attacked Blade with a multitude of quick slashes. Sparks flew as their swords clashed and the two Riders battle ferociously. All of a sudden, time seemed to freeze for everyone save for the Princess of Time. She was moving so fast that everything seemed to be at a standstill.

Capitalizing on her advantage, Zi-O went for the killing blow and struck Blade across the chest. Sparks exploded, then froze in midair. Blade fell back in reality and he quickly responded with a new card from his Rouzer.

_Mach!_

As easily as she had the advantage, the power of the Jaguar Undead surged through Blade, allowing him to keep up with the power of Kabuto. The two broke apart and Zi-O got ready with a finisher.

_Finish Time! Kabuto!_

Blade responded by scanning two cards through his Rouzer.

_Slash! Thunder!_

_Clock Time Break!_

_Lightning Slash!_

Zi-O and Blade flew at each other to perform their attacks. Zi-O delivered a jumping roundhouse Rider Kick as Blade swung his sword to deliver his Lightning Slash.

Boot and sword collided, resulting in a powerful explosion.

"Chronera!" She-Ra yelled.

The smoke cleared and dust settled to reveal Blade holding Chronera under his right arm.

She was unconscious.

"Here," Blade said as he tossed Chronera to She-Ra and she caught her friend. "I'll be taking these." Blade showed She-Ra the Drive and Kabuto Ridewatches which he had claimed as his prize.

"Hey, give those back!" She-Ra shouted.

"Tell her that if she wants these back, she has to come find me in front of the temple in the Whispering Woods. I'll be waiting," Blade challenged before he flew away.

Chronera was out for the count, a loud groan escaping from her lips as she laid in She-Ra's arms.

She-Ra gritted her teeth as she transformed back into Adora, and looked at the mostly unconscious girl. This was seriously not good. They just lost two of their Ridewatches to another Kamen Rider, something none of them expected to happen. And how was he able to transform into that Another Rider as well? She looked down at Chronera one more time, before looking to Glimmer and Bow. They had come back once the fight was over.

"We need to find Woz, right now."

* * *

"My Princess… Lost? This was not what I expected!" Woz said, sitting down at his desk and looking through his many history texts. He looked more frazzled than he usually did, not knowing what had happened. A Kamen Rider suddenly appeared? It was impossible.

"Just tell us who this Kamen Rider Blade is before I shove my fist into your face." Adora threatened, not quite calmed down from her fight with Blade.

"One moment! Please." Woz said, opening up one of his tomes, before stopping and looking inside of it. "According to my research, Kamen Rider Blade was a man named Kazuma Kenzaki. He alongside three other Riders: Chalice, Garren, and Leangle participated in an event called the Battle Fight."

"The Battle Fight? That sounds kinda redundant," Glimmer noted, but Woz silenced her by putting his hand up and motioning for her to quiet down.

"As I was saying. They were to fight and seal away creatures known as the Undead. However, Chalice was a special Undead known as the Joker. In order to save Chalice from his fate of being sealed away, Kazuma Kenzaki overused the power of the Category King Undead in order to become a Joker Undead as well, thus leaving the Battle Fight at a stalemate."

"So that thing we fought before he turned into Blade wasn't Another Rider? But this Joker Undead?" Adora raised an eyebrow.

"Most likely. He did so to make you to transform and fight him, knowing you'd think he was Another Rider. But the way he easily defeated both of you is… disconcerting to say the least." Woz closed his book and sighed. "How he got here is what worries me the most. He is ageless and immortal, but he should not be on Etheria."

"So what are we supposed to do?" Bow asked. "He already took two of our Ridewatches! And he won't give them back unless Chronera fights him again. Alone."

"The only way my dear princess can defeat Blade is to use the power of Oma Zi-O, and channel her rage to defeat Kamen Rider Blade. But as long as she fears her rage, I believe it'll be impossible for her to win." Woz sighed a bit, looking down at his normal book and opening it up. "This is truly unprecedented."

* * *

When Chronera regained consciousness, she found herself in the palace's infirmary. In two other beds lay the guards who had been posted at the gate. Blade likely injured them when he had tried to enter the palace grounds.

She noted that she was not too injured, just a few scratches and scrapes, nothing too serious. The armor had taken the brunt of Blade's attack while she performed her Rider Kick. If it was not for that power, she would've been seriously hurt.

"Chronera, you're awake!" Glimmer entered with Adora and Bow.

"Lady Glimmer, Lady Adora, Sir Bow," Chronera smiled, happy to see her friends. For some reason, they did not look very happy. "What's wrong?"

"Well, how do we say this?" Bow seemed nervous. "You remember that Rider that attacked you?"

"Blade."

"Yes, that guy. Well..."

Adora decided to interject.

"He took the Drive and Kabuto Ridewatches."

Chronera reacted as expected.

"WHAT!?" She quickly covered her mouth and looked to the other occupied beds, hoping she had not disturbed the injured guards. "I'm sorry, what?"

"After he beat you, he took them."

'Angry' did not come close to describing what Chronera was feeling right now. She and Adora had risked going into the Fright Zone to claim those Ridewatches. To have them taken from her was like having all her efforts to get them in the first place becoming wasted. She threw the covers off and got out of bed.

"What are you doing?" Glimmer asked.

"I'm going to find him and I'm going to get my Ridewatches back," Chronera stated firmly.

"No, you're not," Glimmer protested. "You're still hurt."

"And he did kick your butt," Bow added.

"Bow!"

"What? Oh, sorry, but it's true. But you don't need to feel bad about it, Chronera. He was a way older, way more experienced Rider."

"What do you mean?" Chronera asked.

"Woz told us about Blade," Adora began to explain. "He used to be human but he used his powers so much that he turned into something called a Joker Undead. That's why he looked like an Another Rider before he transformed into a Kamen Rider."

"He was a Rider...who became a monster..." Chronera slowly spoke.

Like Oma Zi-O.

"And according to Woz, Undead are immortal," Adora finished.

"So, I can't kill him," Chronera concluded. "That doesn't mean I can't defeat him."

"Look, we know how important the Ridewatches are, but you got hurt and you need to rest. Plus, we need a plan to get them back and beat Blade," Glimmer said, trying to talk Chronera out of doing something reckless.

"...You're right," Chronera relented. "My apologies, Lady Glimmer. So is there anything else?"

"Blade challenged you to a duel," Adora answered. "He said that if you wanted your Ridewatches back, you'd have to face him in the Whispering Woods."

"And where exactly in the Whispering Woods can we find him?" Chronera questioned.

"First, you need to rest and then we need to come up with a plan, an actual plan. Not like when we went into the Fright Zone," Adora answered. "We'll head out tomorrow so no sneaking out."

"Very well, Lady Adora. I promise," Chronera swore. She would not disobey Queen Angella by leaving without permission. Also, her friends had a point. They needed a plan to beat Blade and reclaim the Ridewatches. Maybe Woz could help them.

* * *

Queen Angella knew about the incident; it was impossible for her not to learn that an intruder had shown up and injured one of the princesses. Fortunately, Chronera's injuries had not been severe.

Woz, Chronera, Adora, Bow and Glimmer stood before Queen Angella. The Queen of Brightmoon knew what this was about.

"You intend to chase after the intruder, don't you?" Queen Angella asked.

"Your Majesty, the intruder has stolen from My Princess. It is our responsibility to find him and reclaim her stolen property," Woz stated.

"Mom, it's really important that Chronera gets her Ridewatches back," added Glimmer, justifying their case further.

"It's like, if someone stole my bow! It's my bow! Without it, who would I be? My name is Bow!" OK, maybe Bow probably wasn't making a good case, but his meaning was clear.

"Your Majesty, Lady Adora and I risked our lives to enter the Fright Zone so we could claim those Ridewatches. I'm not about to let someone take them without a fight," Chronera said.

"And Chronera needs to get stronger so she can help us fight the Horde," added Adora. "So please, let us go after Blade."

* * *

After receiving Queen Angella's permission, the group headed to the temple to meet Kenzaki. Swift Wind, with Adora and Glimmer riding on his back, flew ahead and led the way. Chronera rode the Ride Striker with Bow sitting behind her. He had his arms wrapped tightly around her waist due to the vehicle's speed.

Woz said he would meet them there.

Upon their arrival, they found Kenzaki waiting for them. The suited man, once more, removed his sunglasses and stared on at his opponents. His battle with Chronera had left him with a small cut on his face, oozing out green blood. It was true then, Chronera thought, he had been turned into a monster. Woz, as usual, seemingly came out of nowhere as she found him waiting for the group there.

"So you've come, Demon King," Kenzaki said, looking to the girl who had arrived with her friends. The soldier nodded and took out her Ziku-Driver before attaching it to her waist. "And you've brought your friends."

The others simply stood behind Chronera, as Woz watched from behind. He smiled a little bit, staring down Kenzaki.

"This time I won't lose to you," Chronera announced, furrowing her brow a little bit. Kenzaki jumped off the log he was sitting on, before throwing his belt out in front of him. The cards surrounded his waist before snapping shut onto his body.

"I will show you the true power of a King, Demon King," Kenzaki said, glowing a bright gold as he looked at Chronera. "Henshin!"

_Turn Up!_

_Absorb Queen! Evolution King!_

Kenzaki stepped through the glowing energy in front of him, stepping out in gold and navy armor that looked even more impressive than what they had seen before.

"That's…" Adora began to say, as Woz's eyes lit up a bit.

"King Form… The fusion of all of Blade's Undead powers." Woz said, writing in his book once more. "This is truly unprecedented! My Princess, you must defeat him and claim back the powers that rightfully belong to you!"

"Right, so a King versus a Princess, huh? I didn't expect this to be how you wanted things to go down, but I'm all for it." Chronera said, smirking a bit. She had to use all of her wit and all of her strength to defeat Blade this time around, especially now that he stood before her in his King Form.

"Transform!"

_Rider Time! Kamen Rider~! Zi-O!_

Now that she was transformed, with her sword in hand, she looked to Blade who had summoned his King Rouzer to his hands.

"Don't interfere!" Blade said to Chronera's friends. "This is a fight between me and the Demon King. If you get in the way, then I won't show you any mercy."

"I don't intend to show you any mercy either," Zi-O retorted as she mentally prepared for battle.

"Let's begin!" Blade said, running forward and striking at Zi-O's blade. Like she expected, the amount of force he had put over on top of her was mind blowing. Much stronger than anything she had expected.

But she stood her ground and pushed back before landing a strike of her own. Sparks erupted as their swords connected and the two engaged in a furious trade of slashes.

"C'mon!" Adora stepped forward but Woz pulled her back. "Woz, let me go!"

"We cannot interfere, Miss Adora," Woz denied. "Right now, My Princess is fighting to prove she is worthy of her power. We have no choice but to spectate and leave this to My Princess."

Adora's eyes narrowed angrily but she watched Zi-O's fight with Blade nonetheless. She just wished she could do something instead of being stuck on the sidelines.

Zi-O sidestepped a downward swing from Blade before retaliating with a slash of her own. He caught her sword before delivering a jab that sent her staggering back.

This was Blade's King Form and he was at his most powerful. If she wanted to stand a chance against him, she needed power to match his.

_Kiva!_

"Then a king for a king," Zi-O said as she docked the Kiva Ridewatch into the empty left slot of her Ziku-Driver and spun it around.

_Armor Time! Biting! Kiva!_

Now augmented with the Kiva Armor, Zi-O resumed her fight with Blade. They crossed swords, looking each other in the eye.

"Tell me, why do you seek power?" Blade asked.

"I need power to destroy the Horde!" Zi-O snapped.

"Is that all?" Blade and Zi-O broke apart and Blade slashed her across the chest. "You seek power to destroy your enemies. Is that all you think it's for, Demon King?"

Chronera had lost so much because of the Horde, it was why she wanted to be part of the Rebellion. It was why she trained and became a royal guard. Now that she had actual power, she would use it to avenge her home, her parents and herself. She would not let anyone get in her way, not even another Kamen Rider.

The yellow characters on her visor glowed and turned red as she furiously attacked Blade. She put more force into her strikes to defeat her enemy. Even if he was immortal, she would make him beg for death once she was done with him.

She would reclaim what was rightfully hers, the power to destroy the Horde.

Holding the Edge of Time in her left hand in a reverse grip, Zi-O threw a right hook which collided with Blade's face. Then she swung her sword, striking him in the chest. He stood his ground, taking the attack.

Zi-O's eyes narrowed as she gritted her teeth. This was the gap of power between her and Blade. His King Form was powerful but that did not make him invincible. His immortality, however, did.

Blade retaliated by delivering a punch that knocked Zi-O back. He then swung his sword and she raised hers to parry, but it was knocked out of her hand. Sparks blasted off her chest as the King Rouzer slashed him and Blade slashed her again, throwing her to the ground while knocking the Kiva Ridewatch out of its slot.

Zi-O fell, reverted to her base form as Blade stood over her with his King Rouzer raised for the killing blow.

"This is where you end, Demon King."

Zi-O squeezed her eyes shut as the sword came down and...

**CLANG!**

The impact of steel against steel rang, but it was not because Blade's King Rouzer had touched Zi-O. Zi-O opened her eyes and gasped as she saw She-Ra holding the King Rouzer at bay with her Sword of Power.

"Lady She-Ra!" Zi-O cried.

Blade glared at the blonde Princess of Power.

"I told you not to interfere," Blade growled.

"Well, it's too bad that we don't listen!" She-Ra snapped. "Now!"

Woz threw his scarf to wrap it around Blade's King Rouzer. With a tug, he ripped the weapon out of the Rider's hands. Then a sparkle blast hit Blade in the face, blinding him and causing him to recoil.

Bow fired three arrows and they pierced the ground in front of Blade's feet. They then exploded, covering Blade's legs up to his shins in some kind of sticky slime, immobilizing him. Bow fired a quarter dozen more arrows, this time hitting Blade in the chest, and covering his body up to his neck in the sticky slime which soon hardened like cement. Zi-O wasn't sure what was happening, but she looked to see it. Her allies… Her friends were there to stop Blade from finishing her off.

She-Ra smiled and offered her hand to Zi-O. Stunned, Zi-O took the offered hand as the Princess of Power pulled her back up to her feet.

Zi-O's allies stood together with her; Glimmer, Bow, She-Ra and Woz.

Blade struggled to free himself as She-Ra spoke.

"You wanted to see Zi-O's power, well here it is! Our power is her power!"

"Together, we're stronger!" Glimmer added.

"Yeah, we're a team!" Bow said confidently.

"So if you're going to fight one of us, then get ready to fight all of us!" She-Ra declared, brandishing her sword.

"Well said, all of you," Woz smiled. His Princess was truly remarkable to recruit such a powerful band of retainers. Her path to her throne would indeed be a glorious one with She-Ra siding with her.

Zi-O smiled underneath her mask, a smile that no one else could see. She was… happy. Happy that she could have such good friends already, despite the fact that she had failed them once before. Her rage had empowered her at one point, but now… she had her friends. That was her true strength.

"So, you'll let her become a Demon King?" Blade questioned, his voice still cold as steel. He raised up his sword a bit, ready to clash once more with the enemy. She-Ra ran forward and defiantly struck at Blade with enough force to make him fall back a bit, breaking him out of his cement prison.

"Chronera won't become a Demon King because we won't let her!" She-Ra answered. Zi-O managed to grab hold of her weapon and joined She-Ra in her attack. Together, they were able to make dutiful strikes against Blade, each strike followed through with another. Their synergy was incredible, as Blade could do nothing but use his King Rouzer to block the attacks from striking his armor.

"Well, then you should back your words up with your actions!" Blade huffed a little, as he built up enough strength to strike them back. His sword glowed a bright gold color, as he used its energy to force his opponents back.

"Gah!" They all yelled in unison, as the were flung back through the air. The group were slammed against the temple and fell, groaning in pain.

Blade summoned up a set of five cards from his body then telekinetically inserted them into the King Rouzer's scanner.

"Demon King, this is the fate of the people who follow your lead!" Blade said, his voice not wavering one bit. Was this the end?

_Spade 10, Jack, Queen, King, Ace! Royal Straight Flush!_

A set of five human-sized holographic Rouze cards lined up in front of Blade as he swung his King Rouzer and a burst of energy flew through them, headed for Zi-O friends.

"NO!"

Zi-O pushed herself back up and got up from the ground to shield them with her own body. She took the full brunt of the _Royal Straight Flush_ and screamed. The explosion was immense, and even though her armor was strong, she could feel her body yelling out in pain. Every moment was torture for the young warrior.

"CHRONERA!" the Best Friend Squad screamed.

"MY PRINCESS!" Woz shouted.

The explosion consumed the future King of Time and when it cleared she was still standing albeit without her suit. She then collapsed, her body sprawled on the ground.

Blade stood over Chronera. He was victorious once again. But instead of finishing her off, he offered her his hand.

"Come on, get up." Blade said, as Chronera slowly took his hand. She was pulled back upright as she looked at him. His transformation broke and he smiled a bit, green blood pouring out of his mouth a bit. "You did pretty well against my King Form. It's been awhile since I had such a thrilling battle."

"Wait… what do you mean?"

"I came here to see if you would become the Demon King who will destroy this world. But you took my final attack for your friends. Could an all evil Demon King take my most powerful attack for their friends?" He shook his head a bit, as Zi-O turned back into Chronera.

"You're saying you were… testing me?"

"Correct. And you passed." He handed back the Ridewatches he had taken from her along with the Blade Ridewatch. "Use my powers wisely, Chronera. Do not believe even for one second that you will fall to evil, or you might do so." He turned around as a large blurry wall appeared before them.

"Wait! How did you get here in the first place?! What is that wall?!" Chronera yelled, as Kenzaki turned around and smiled.

"Let's just say… a passing-through Kamen Rider helped me out. Now, I'm sure we'll meet again. See ya." He raised his hand up and put his sunglasses back on, before heading back through the wall. It then phased back out of existence, leaving the five of them alone.

None of them noticed a small sphere-shaped robot hovering nearby, watching them.

* * *

"According to this book, Chronera, member of the royal guard is destined to become the new Oma Zi-O. In order to obtain her birthright, she faced off against the powerful Kamen Rider Blade." Woz read from his book. He flipped the page. "She lost to him, but her generosity in protecting her friends led to her obtaining the Blade Ridewatch. And then, she met another Kamen Rider. Impossible! Another Kamen Rider in Etheria besides my Princess? Who could this Rider from the Hidden Kingdom be?"

* * *

A/N: As always, a big thanks to KR Chrome for helping out with this chapter. Be sure to leave a review so I can here your thoughts on the series! Feedback is always useful for me! S2 of She-Ra here we come!


	8. Chapter 7: Wake Up! The Hidden Kingdom!

Walking forward was a group of people who traveled under the cover of darkness. They were heading through the recovering Whispering Woods. There were quite a few of them, coupling in the dozens. Men, women, and children all made up the load of refugees.

"This place we are going to… It is called Brightmoon, is it not?"

Her hair was a long golden blonde. A bright red cloak covered her body, a black suit on underneath with a red tie around her neck. Her bat-like eyes shone underneath the many moons of Etheria, as the refugees traveled under the night.

"That is correct, Your Highness. This place will serve as our sanctuary."

"We should have stayed and fought for our home… It is my fault we are in this predicament."

"It is not your fault, my lady. The Dark Kiva's power is too great, even for you."

"But if I had stayed and fought…"

"You would have most likely died. And would not be on your way to taking back the power that belongs to you by birthright."

"I see…" She looked down at the ground for a moment. The girl wished she could have done more for her people, but there were only so many people who were able to flee the Hidden Kingdom before the borders became completely closed off. "Kivat, why can't we transform?"

"I've told you again and again, the power of Kiva was taken away from us. All you can do is become the Bat Fangire, and fight in that form." Kivat replied, looking down. He landed on her shoulder and sighed.

"But with Kiva's power we might stand a chance against my father!" The girl replied, before getting a stone cold look in her eye. "That's why we must convince these people in Brightmoon to give back our power." She looked down and fished something out of her pocket. It was a watch with the year 2001 emblazoned on it. "This is our bargaining chip. If this does not get us what we need, then we may need to take it by force."

"These people do not even know we exist. For now we must hold our cards, and play them well." Kivat said, looking down at the watch. "These powers, contained within these watches, must be returned to their original owners. And that includes Kiva's power. Lady Ana, you must know that is true."

"I know," Ana replied, looking up at the sky. "The door to the universe promised us a new home. Away from Earth, and all the people who feared us. But now… I guess I miss the stars."

"Don't we all, my lady." Kivat replied, looking up at the sky with a rather forlorn expression. "Etheria does not know we exist. And that is why our kingdom was hidden within the fog. But now that your father is here, he may reveal to the world that we exist. The Horde… The Rebellion… They will not react lightly to a third party attempting to take over the world."

"The Fangires came here to live in peace. Not to fight another stupid war in the name of the King." Ana looked forward. "We're nearing the place, are we not?"

Kivat flew up into the air and scouted ahead. He was small enough that nobody would be able to discern him from a common animal.

* * *

"My Princess, have you decided which Watch you will seek to obtain next?" Woz asked.

Chronera was in her room, looking over the Ridewatches she had gathered so far. Including her own, she now had Kiva, Drive, Kabuto, and now Blade.

That was six Ridewatches in total. She still had 14 more to collect according to Woz. Fortunately, some of them were in the possession of the other princesses. It should be easy to ask for them, but Chronera did not believe it would be that simple. There would be conditions since the Ridewatches had been passed down in their families and they were pretty much protecting them. Also, she doubted they would willingly give them up to someone who was descended from a Demon King.

Chronera glanced at her advisor, for that was Woz was. He was also a fanatical worshipper of her ancestor, Oma Zi-O. That made her curious. She wondered how Woz, a sorcerer of Mystacor, ended up becoming so enamored with the previous Demon King. After all, Oma Zi-O had perished over a thousand years ago, had he not?

"Woz, can I ask you about my ancestor?" Chronera asked.

"Oh, you wish to learn about your glorious ancestor," Woz smiled as he flipped open his book. "Well, I can start with his origin. Once a young high school student-"

"No, that's not it," Chronera interrupted. "I want to know why you worship someone like him so much. After everything he's done, it's just odd that you look up to him and yet you're a member of the Rebellion. I just want to know how you can support someone like that."

"Ah," Woz slammed his book shut. "I see. So you want to know why I look up to the Great Demon King, My Princess."

"That's right," Chronera said and Woz sat down.

"It was during my studies in Mystacor," Woz began. "Back then I went by a different name."

"You had a different name?"

"Yes, I was known as 'Time Keeper'."

* * *

_Young Time Keeper was studying in Mystacor's library. He had numerous tomes stacked beside him on the table. As the magical capital of Etheria, Mystacor's collection was both vaste and ancient._

_Time Keeper was not just a student of magic, but of history. He wished to unlock the secrets of the past and learn from ages past. He hoped that from learning from the past that they could perhaps prosper in the present and future._

_The Horde had become quite a problem in Etheria as they tried to expand their influence. It was only due to Mystacor's hidden status that their army had not invaded. That was a blessing._

_However, Time Keeper did not believe they could hide for long. He also believed they could do more good for Etheria if they used their power to help the Rebellion._

_One of the subjects of interest for Time Keeper was the First Ones. There were many myths and legends written about them, but during his search he found a book that caught his eye._

_It was called the 'Oma Advent Calendar' and it had been written by a prophet named 'Woz'. Time Keeper was absorbed by it and read it obsessively. The book told Time Keeper of the Great Demon King Oma Zi-O. It told him of his great power, his triumphs and his victories. The more Time Keeper studied about Oma Zi-O, the more he wanted to meet him in-person. Unfortunately, Oma Zi-O had perished long ago._

_But then, in the book, Time Keeper learned that Oma Zi-O might have an heir. His eyes widened with glee. _

"_Oma Zi-O will live again," Time Keeper whispered._

* * *

"So I took the name 'Woz' and left Mystacor in search for Oma Zi-O's heir. I even managed to find the Ziku-Driver which was given to you," Woz finished.

"You became a devout follower of Oma Zi-O from reading a book?" Chronera asked in disbelief.

"Yes, because only Oma Zi-O's power can save Etheria from the Horde!" Woz proclaimed.

Chronera did not know what to think. It sounded crazy. In fact, Woz's fanatical devotion to Oma Zi-O was pretty frightening, but it did explain his mannerism. He believed that Etheria needed Oma Zi-O but Chronera did not intend to be a tyrant. She did not want to be the next Demon King.

However, if her destiny was inevitable, then she would be her own kind of Demon King.

"If we do plan on claiming another Ridewatch, we should discuss our plans with Queen Angella and the others," Chronera said.

"As you wish, My Princess."

* * *

Queen Angella was sitting in her seat at the Princess Alliance table. Also seated around the table were Glimmer, Adora, Bow and Chronera. Woz stood beside his princess with a smile.

"So, you wish to claim the Watches under the protection of the other princesses," Angella summarised.

"I just thought we could approach Princess Perfuma, Princess Mermista and Princess Frosta and ask for them, Your Majesty," Chronera explained. "I understand that the Watches belong to the kingdoms, but I need to collect them and soon. So I request permission to go to the other princesses and request the Watches from them."

"You know, Chronera, the other princesses are our friends," Glimmer reminded her. "I'm sure they wouldn't mind giving up those Watches."

"But you could try some diplomacy," Bow said. "Your usual approach may not work."

"What do you mean?" Chronera asked, unsure of what her friends meant.

"They mean you can't demand the Watches from them if they say no," Adora translated.

"But Lady She-Ra, the Watches are hers by birthright!" Woz said. "It is only right that the princesses surrender the Ridewatches to the Future King of Time and Space!"

"I won't demand anything. I will just ask politely and be diplomatic," Chronera said and everyone averted their gaze. "What?"

"You're not very good at diplomacy. You're good at fighting and giving people a scary glare," Bow said nervously.

"And when things don't go your way, you kinda blow up," Adora reminded.

Chronera wanted to protest when a guard barged into the Alliance chamber.

"Queen Angella, we have… what looks like refugees waiting outside of Brightmoon!" one of the guards reported, taking a few deep breaths. Since the defeat of the Horde within the Whispering Woods, the once lusciously thick woods was finally growing back and making itself hidden once more. Before he could say anything more, the doors to the room opened. Adora and her friends turned their heads to witness Ana walk forward with Kivat fluttering behind her. Her deathly glare was almost petrifying.

"So you are this Rebellion's leader…" Ana tilted her head forward. "I apologize for our intrusion. However, at our utmost urgency I had to enter here." Angella was confused for a moment. However, she didn't miss a beat in the tone of the girl's voice. She seemed to be around the same age as Glimmer and the others, but something seemed off about her. Her eyes were that of a bat's. She was followed by a man wearing clothes similar to that of Kenzaki's but it was a lot furrier. He wore a pair of sunglasses over his eyes, covering them up.

Chronera could feel the pressure coming off of the man. He seemed to be a bodyguard, but then Kivat caught her eye. The bat was similar to… her Kiva armor. Before Angella could say anything more, Chronera turned her head to the queen.

"Your highness, I believe… Well these people…"

"We are known as the Fangire." Ana finished. She looked to Angella, and held out the Agito Ridewatch. "You have something similar to this, no? The only difference is that yours should read the numbers 2-0-0-8."

"Fangire!" Woz interrupted, walking out in front of them all. "My queen, this would be the race tied to the Kiva Watch! I would guess, as much, as that they have come to reclaim it."

"The Kiva Watch? Why would you need such a thing?" Angella asked, raising one her eyebrows as she looked down at the three new interlopers. Kivat flew forward, perching himself onto Ana's shoulder.

"Allow me to explain as such, Queen Angella." Kivat said, looking up towards her. "Quite some time ago, we existed on another planet. One called Earth. For you see our race wanted to enter a new age of peace, so eons ago we moved our peoples here to Etheria. Within our hidden kingdom, we lived peacefully away from all the war and destruction."

"Away from the Horde?"

"Correct. We did not wish to impose our powers upon anyone else, so we fought to remain hidden away within the deepest parts of the Whispering Woods. However, it seemed that one person wanted that to change. The King, once exiled for his ridiculous ideas, subjugated my father, Kivat the Second, to force him to transform into the being we call Dark Kiva." Kivat continued on. "Dark Kiva has the ability to force people into serving him. He forced us from our homes, and used our own soldiers to do so."

"So I beg of you, please, return Kiva's powers to us at once." Ana tilted her head forward again. "Only so many of our people managed to escape the villages and follow us out of the limits of our kingdom. Please, give us Kiva's power…"

"I'm afraid we cannot do that!" Woz said, walking in front of Ana. "For you see, Kiva's power is needed for my princess, Zi-O. She has already claimed it for her own, defeated the Another Rider with its power, so it rightfully belongs to her. And if she were to lose said power, then we would have no way of eventually defeating the Horde!" Woz poked Ana on the nose. "Do you understand? Your royal standing has no sway here."

Ana batted Woz's hand away and looked to Queen Angella.

"You cannot be serious in letting this fool speak for you." Ana said.

"Fool? Me?" Woz asked, looking over to Chronera, who simply shrugged. He was exasperated a bit, as Angella shook her head a bit.

"I'm afraid I cannot say. The Kiva Watch has been in Brightmoon's protection for quite some time. And now it is in Chronera's protection. I will not make the final decision in this matter, but you, Chronera, will."

"M-me?" Chronera pointed at herself. Oh geez, she thought to herself, she had to deal with this?

"Yes, it will be good practice dealing with diplomatic issues." The Queen said as Chronera groaned internally. She was barely good with people she knew, let alone complete strangers.

"Good luck with that, Chronera." Glimmer said, patting Chronera on the back a bit. "You'll need it!"

"W-what? What about you three?"

"Well, diplomatic issues are pretty boring." Glimmer confessed, with extra emphasis on the 'pretty.' She, Bow, and Adora gave her the thumbs up as they slipped away, leaving the princess of time alone.

"Come with me." Ana commanded, grabbing onto Chronera's hand and dragging her out of the room. Chronera was not looking forward to this, in the slightest. "Where's your room?"

"My room?" Chronera asked as Ana continued to drag her along.

"Yes, so we may speak in private."

Chronera did not like the idea of bringing a stranger to her room. However, she was not totally defenseless. She had her Ziku-Driver and training as a royal guard. If Ana tried something, she was confident she could subdue the foreign princess.

"Over here," Chronera said as she led the way.

Chronera took Ana to her bedroom and the Princess of the Fangires. Kivat flew in and perched herself on his princess' shoulder. As soon as Ana stepped into Chronera's bedroom, the first thing she noticed was all the clocks on Chronera's wall. It was almost amazing how many clocks were just hanging there.

"You have a lot of clocks," Ana stated, walking up towards them. So many clocks of different makes. No one she knew had this many, some of them being high end enough for Fangire royalty.

"I collect and fix them," Chronera said. "I enjoy it. One of the few things I really enjoy doing in my little free time.

Ana then spotted the Ridewatch rack on Chronera's table and found the Kiva Watch. She made her way toward it but Chronera blocked her way. She knew it wouldn't be that easy.

"Please, move aside," Ana commanded, putting her arm out towards the Ridewatches.

"No," Chronera denied. "You came here to talk. Let's talk." Chronera sat down, offering a place for Ana to sit.

Ana sighed. She nearly forgot her manners. The blonde girl nodded and sat down near Chronera, and looked her in the eyes.

"So, you have claimed the powers of Kiva," Ana said, raising an eyebrow. Kiva was her birthright, and it made no sense that Brightmoon would somehow be in control of it. But she had to do as much as she could to get the Ridewatch back.

"Yes, it was given to me by Queen Angella. That's why I am reluctant to part with it," Chronera said, looking to the Ridewatches. "It was the first Ridewatch I collected, and Queen Angella fully entrusted its safety to me… I cannot lose it."

"The powers of Kiva belong to the Fangires," Ana said firmly. "You must relinquish it."

"I cannot do that," Chronera denied. "I need to collect them all so I have the power to fight the Horde."

"And I need Kiva's power to save my kingdom. Please, you must understand." Ana bowed her head down slightly. She bit her lips nervously. She had to get Dark Kiva off the throne no matter the cost.

"I do," Chronera admitted. "Your home was taken from you and you feel like you have nowhere else to go." Her eyes went down a bit. The muscular princess ran a hand through her short hair as she sighed.

"Yes, so you do understand." Ana replied, tilting her head a little bit.

"I do, because the Horde took everything from me." Chronera hated telling this story, but with Ana it seemed like the best course of action.

Chronera then told Ana about her past, about how she lived with her parents who were simple people who fixed clocks for a living. Then the Horde came and she ended up as the only survivor of her village.

"That is why I need power. I can't let the Horde continue to make people suffer," Chronera finished, getting up and walking towards the Ridewatches. She looked at them with a longing look.

Ana was sympathetic. Chronera had lost her home, her family, so all she had was her desire to avenge them.

Both princesses knew what it was like to feel powerless. Claiming the power of all of the Ridewatches was Chronera's goal. But Ana needed Kiva's power.

"I'm sorry for what happened to you, but I can't leave without Kiva's power," Ana said. "I'm even ready to trade you this for it."

Ana showed Chronera the Agito Ridewatch, surprising the Princess of Time. So, the Fangire Princess was ready to bargain for Kiva's power with the powers of another Rider. However, that would still leave Chronera with an incomplete set if she gave Kiva's power in exchange for Agito's.

Chronera glanced at the Kiva Watch then looked back at Ana.

"You may not have to leave without it," Chronera said. "But I have one condition."

* * *

Bow, Adora and Glimmer were waiting outside of Chronera's door. It had been quite a while since Ana and Chronera went in. Ana's bodyguard was with them as well. Bow felt quite intimidated by the man, who was simply leaning against the wall, staring at the three of them.

"So… what's your name?" Bow tried to ask.

"... Jiro." Jiro said rather simply, looking at them and analyzing them from behind his glasses.

"So… you're one of these Fangire things?" Glimmer asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No… My race was called the Wolfen. A previous heir to Kiva wiped out my people, leaving me the sole survivor. But I owe my life to another Kiva, so I serve every Kiva down the bloodline." He looked down to Glimmer. "No matter where you go, you can't outrun your past, so I make it plain as day to be as transparent as possible."

"Huh…" Bow honestly didn't know what to say. This guy exuded the kind of pressure that no one ever wanted to deal with. He just seemed to not want to be bothered, so the trio took the hint and stood quietly and awkwardly, waiting for Chronera and Ana to finish their meeting.

The door opened and the three friends backed away from it. Chronera gave them a glance as she was used to them eavesdropping by now. Ana stepped out with her.

* * *

Chronera and Ana both met with Queen Angella in her throne room. It seemed that negotiations actually went well.

"After some discussion, Princess Chronera and I have come to an agreement," Ana informed Queen Angella.

"Your Majesty, I request permission to go with Princess Ana to help liberate her kingdom." Chronera said, bowing her head down towards Queen Angella.

Queen Angella looked at both princesses who wore masks of resolve on their faces. Clearly, Chronera felt strongly about liberating a kingdom from a tyrant. This was also a chance to start diplomatic relations with a new kingdom which would lead them to joining the Princess Alliance and Rebellion.

"Very well, Princess Chronera. You have my permission," Queen Angella allowed. "Although I warn you to be quite careful. You may have bested those Another Riders, but this Dark Kiva has power we don't know much about."

"Don't worry, Your Majesty, I will be as careful as possible." Chronera nodded her head to the queen, who simply nodded in return. Queen Angella soon turned her attention to Ana.

"You must be tired from your long journey, Princess Ana. You should stay and rest here in the palace before you return to your kingdom," Queen Angella said.

"She can stay with me." Chronera offered. Ana nodded back. The two were getting along well with one another, and Chronera didn't mind sharing her usually empty bedroom with someone else.

"Tomorrow we will travel back to our kingdom, and make our stand against my father." Ana nodded once more and bowed her head. "Thank you, though, for your generous hospitality." It was getting rather late, so the duo retired to Chronera's room after their audience with the Queen had been completed.

"Aww, that's so cute." Bow said, wiping his face a little bit. "I'm so proud of Chronera for actually making a friend on her own."

Chronera gave the archer a withering glare. It was a diplomatic negotiation. Making friends was part of diplomacy, was it not?

* * *

While Jiro led the refugees into a small camp outside of Brightmoon, with the promise of them taking back their homeland, Ana sat on a chair in Chronera's room. Her precious violin was carefully taken out of its case and she played it.

Chronera remained silent as she sat there and listened to the brilliance of the instrument. It was later now, and Chronera couldn't believe how beautiful the violin sounded. There was definitely no other instrument like it, not that Chronera had seen or heard. They sat there while Ana played a variety of songs from the Fangire homeworld. Chronera lost herself in the melodies that were being performed for her, as if it were her own private concert by a world-class violinist.

Soon enough Ana's song came to an end, and she smiled. Chronera didn't have much to say in response, simply sitting there with her mouth agape instead.

"That was beautiful," Chronera said as eloquently as she could. There were no other words to describe it.

"Thank you, Princess Chronera," Ana responded, blushing at the praise. "That song was written by my ancestor and passed down my family for generations along with this violin. It's called the Bloody Rose."

"Were you taught by your mother?" Chronera asked.

"Yes," Ana sighed sadly.

"What was she like?" Chronera asked. "If I may ask."

"She was a beautiful woman who ruled over our kingdom with love and compassion. Back then my father was a different man. But after she died, something changed within him," Ana explained.

The rest of the night was spent with Chronera walking Ana through the steps of clock repair. It wasn't as elegant or beautiful as Ana's violin playing, but Ana was incredibly enthralled with the process. The clocks were so intricately designed, down to the last gear.

"There's a beautiful harmony that goes into making a clock, don't you think?" Ana questioned as she examined the parts with Chronera.

"There's also order with each piece doing one thing that helps with the whole," Chronera replied. "Every little piece is important. If even the smallest piece is missing or damaged, then the whole thing would not work."

The two worked with them deep into the night, until finally the clock they were repairing was done.

"Alright, let's see if it works," said Chronera as she started up the clock. It was an old cuckoo clock with a unique design. It looked like a gothic castle.

Then the cuckoo bird popped out, but it was a bat instead.

Ana loved it.

Chronera gazed up at her clocks. It was getting pretty late.

"We should get to bed. We have a long journey ahead of us," Chronera said.

"Oh, alright," Ana said.

"You can have my bed. I'm fine sleeping on the floor," said Chronera as she took out a sleeping bag and unrolled it.

"Oh, I don't want to impose. We could share the bed. It looks big enough for the both of us."

"Are you sure?" Chronera asked. She still wasn't used to such a big and soft bed. It was why she preferred to sleep in a sleeping bag on the floor.

"I'm sure," Ana smiled.

* * *

During the night, while Chronera slept, Ana slipped out of bed and walked toward the Ridewatch Rack.

She looked at the Kiva Ridewatch. It would be so easy for her to grab it and sneak out. Then she and Jiro would return to the kingdom and reclaim it from her father.

However, the Princess of the Fangires hesitated and looked back at Chronera who was sleeping soundly. How was she better than her father if she betrayed an ally as soon as she could?

* * *

The next morning, Chronera found out that Ana was a hugger while she slept. Right now, the Princess of the Fangires had her arms wrapped tightly around her midsection.

It was a bit awkward, but it was rather nice as well. Chronera just allowed them to soak in the morning sunlight before the long journey ahead of them.

* * *

"So, how was spending the night with Princess Ana?" Glimmer asked.

"We had a pleasant time bonding over our interests. Did you know she was a musician?" Chronera said.

"Really?" Glimmer questioned. "How was it?"

"It was beautiful." Chronera said, looking forward at Glimmer. "The sound of her instrument is just so incredible, why don't we have anything like that here?" She sighed a little bit. She hoped after this was all over, she could hear it again from Ana.

* * *

"Princess Chronera showed me how easy it was to repair a clock," Ana told Jiro. "I never knew that it could so beautiful. How each part works with another is like harmony."

Jiro grunted a little as he finished cooking food for the refugees.

"Sounds like you finally found someone you can relate to. That's good." Jiro said, poking at the fire a bit. Her happiness reminded him of simpler times. Better times. Hopefully after the King had fallen, things could return to a more relaxing time. He heard footsteps. Someone was coming into the camp and he stood up to see Chronera with a backpack and Woz.

"Princess Chronera," Ana smiled as she saw her new friend.

"Lady Ana," Chronera bowed. "I'm ready to leave."

"It'll be a long journey," Ana advised.

"Don't worry. Woz here says he has a way for us to travel quickly," Chronera said.

"Yes, for in my search, I have found Oma Zi-O's royal chariot!" Woz announced.

A portal opened up and a flying machine zoomed out of it. Its body was a gunmetal grey color with a slanted head that had glowing violet lines. A pair of arms were connected in the front by large slabs of metal while there were what looked like legs that connected in the back to form boosters.

"Rejoice! I present to you Ome Zi-O's Time Mazine!"

Chronera closed her gaping mouth and looked at Woz.

"Woz, how long have you had this?" Chronera asked.

"I've been waiting for the right time," said Woz as a ramp descended from the Time Mazine's underside. "Now, how about we step onboard?"

The Time Mazine's cockpit was rather small, with barely enough room for two people, let alone three. Two handles were connected to a rather large screen that seemed to be glitching out in some respects. The date listed was a bunch of gibberish as opposed to actual numbers, as Woz looked at it.

"With the total age of this machine, I don't expect it to be able to travel through time anymore. However, I have been able to get it to fly once again! How wonderful is that?!"

"You got this thing to fly? I gotta say, for once, I'm impressed with your work ethic." Chronera said, standing in the center of the cockpit, placing her hands on the handles.

"It is quite impressive in here, if not for all the wires and such. I apologize for calling you a fool earlier, when it is quite clear you are nothing of the sort." Ana said, looking over the impressive machine.

"Thank you, princess. Now to fly it, it's very similar to your bike, only you're controlling in several dimensions instead of just two. Up and down, left to right. I'm sure you'll get it in no time!" Woz said, smiling as he disembarked from the machine to make room for Ana. He would be able to get to the Fangire Kingdom anyways, no need for the Time Mazine.

"Alright. Here we go!" Chronera gulped a little, after she took off into the sky. It was a little shaky, and vomit inducing, at first but she managed to get the hang of it. Soon enough, they were cruising through the sky at a good enough speed. They would be at their destination soon enough.

* * *

Chronera and Ana soon arrived in the Fangire Kingdom's limits. Dark Kiva's ability to subjugate and control many peaceful Fangire to his will was dangerous. The duo, riding Chronera's bike were almost completely vulnerable. Ana informed Chronera of Dark Kiva's forced as they rode through the night.

The sky of the Fangire Kingdom was very different. It was blood red as it hung over the city which had a very dark and gothic design. The castle itself also surprised Chronera as it looked like someone had built it around a dragon.

Many Fangire were around, most subjugated out of fear as opposed to Dark Kiva's power. Some watched in quiet as the duo rode through the streets towards the kingdom's castle, where Dark Kiva was waiting. Ana looked up at the sky and wondered what she would do. What she would say when they arrived. She shuddered a bit, but braved on as Chronera rode towards the castle. Upon their arrival they saw a figure coming out of the shadowy entrance to the castle. The Time Mazine landed close by the gates of the castle, as Chronera and Ana disembarked from it.

"So this is your castle, huh?" Chronera asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Correct. Castle Doran has protected the Fangire Royal Family for generations. It's simply something to behold, is it not?" Ana replied, throwing off her cloak, and revealing the suit she wore underneath. Kivat floated by as well.

"Be warned, you two, the King is most likely waiting for us just inside the gates." Kivat replied, shivering a little bit. "He's already subjugated my father, let's hope the same doesn't happen to us!"

Chronera gulped a little, nodding to the floating bat as they entered through the gates toward the castle. It was quite creepy in the night sky, almost like a ghost story come to life. Ana patted Chronera on the shoulder.

"It's alright, the courtyard isn't too far ahead." Ana nodded a bit to the nervous Chronera, who felt calmed by Ana's very presence.

The King was there waiting for them as they arrived in the courtyard, gallows prepared for his guilty daughter. He wore a dark red cloak over his clothing, keeping the duo from seeing what dirty tricks he had prepared. Chronera was quite astonished by the gallows, wondering how a parent could be that cruel to their child.

"So you've finally returned here, daughter. And you've brought a friend to feed on." The King said, walking forward. "Have you made the correct decision for you and your detractors to join the true King? So that we may conquer this pathetic backwater planet? Or will you continue to test my patience?"

Ana got off the bike and walked forward toward her father. Kivat batted his wings next to her as they looked at the King.

"Yeah, right. As if I would ever betray those I rule over!" Ana yelled, as Chronera got up as well and approached, but kept her distance. She didn't want to overstep any boundaries. This wasn't her fight in full.

"So you continue to be a traitor to the crown?" The King asked, cocking his head a bit.

"The crown? You've made a fool of the crown to all those before you! There's a reason you cannot rule, father. Why mother pass over the crown to me. Because you rule through fear. You miss the kindness and compassion needed to rule." She looked down for a moment. "I've thought that I was weak because of it… That that's why you were able to defeat me. But I've seen the error of my ways. I'm strong because of that kindness and compassion. And now I'm here to defeat you!"

"You really think you have what it takes to rule? You keep yourselves chained away from reality, far away from the rest of this pathetic planet. I've seen everything I needed to see." The King said, raising out his hand. He summoned the subjugated Kivat the Second to his hands. "And it seems you, dear daughter, need a lesson in what it means to be ruler."

The King forced Kivat the Second to open his mouth and bite his hand.

"Biting!" Kivat the Second yelled, black color filling the King's veins. Chains appeared around his waist, before giving rise to a black belt. He smiled as he held the bat in front of himself.

"Henshin!" The King yelled, glowing a bright green colored as his body morphed into the armor of Dark Kiva, which was incredibly similar to the original Kiva armor but mostly red and black in its stead.

"It's time for your extermination." Dark Kiva said, beginning to walk forward. Gulping a little, Chronera backed away, holding her arm out in front of the fallen Ana. She growled a bit, and looked to her pocket. Within it she withdrew the Kiva Ridewatch from it and dropped it into Ana's hands.

"Here," Chronera said, putting her arm down and pulling out her own Ziku Driver, turning to face Ana.

"Are you sure?" Ana asked reluctantly. It was what she wanted all this time, the power of Kiva, but now she wasn't so sure.

Chronera glanced at Dark Kiva who arrogantly looked down on them, as he approached them rather slowly.

"You are the rightful holder of Kiva's power," Chronera said as she helped the Fangire Princess up to her feet. "This is your kingdom. Now liberate it."

Ana smiled and nodded as she activated the Kiva Ridewatch.

_Kiva!_

Chains surrounded her waist, and they melted before reforming into the blood red Kiva belt. Kivat flew in, smiling.

"Alright, Ana! Now let's Kivatte Go!"

Ana took hold of Kivat as Chronera activated the Zi-O Ridewatch. Kivat opened his mouth and bit Ana's hand, filling her veins with the power that truly belonged to her.

"Bite!"

_Zi-O!_

"Henshin!" "Transform!" the two called together.

_Armor Time! _

The Agito Armor formed in front of Zi-O and she broke it apart with a punch. The pieces then flew back, combining with her suit. She now sported Agito's crest horns on her head with AGITO spelled across her visor. Her chestplate was gold as well with crest horns attached to her shoulders.

_Agito!_

Similar to Dark Kiva, Ana was covered in the same glow as her father. The armor soon broke onto her body, with chained up armor showing on her body. Kivat hung upside down on her belt, with her black undersuit being the only thing that wasn't chained up.

"So this… Kiva's power?" Kiva said, looking down at her arms. She placed her hands on her mask for a moment, before putting them down. "This power… This power is mine! And I'll show you that you're no longer needed here!" She pointed her hand at her father, who simply shook his head.

And right on cue, Woz appeared as he opened his book for his speech.

"Rejoice! She is the future ruler of time and space! Now she has inherited the power of another Rider! Her name is Kamen Rider Zi-O: Agito Armor! She has evolved and become stronger!"

"Does he do this all the time?" Kiva asked.

"Yes," Zi-O admitted with a smile. "Now, shall we finish this?"

Kiva turned to Dark Kiva who was coming at them. He fired off an energy blast which exploded, but then the two Riders leaped out of the smoke cloud and attacked. Kiva delivered a kick straight into Dark Kiva's chest, knocking him back. At the same time, Zi-O delivered a right hook across Dark Kiva's face.

Working together, the Princess of the Fangires and the Princess of Time attacked Dark Kiva relentlessly. He fought back, knocking them back, but they kept coming. He then sent a wave of darkness at Zi-O, sending her tumbling before grabbing Kiva by the throat.

Dark Kiva lifted her off the ground and she looked her in the eye.

"You think a weak child like you have what it takes to rule?" Dark Kiva questioned, preparing to punch Kiva with his free hand.

"She does!" Zi-O rose up.

"Stay out of this!" Dark Kiva yelled.

"No!" Zi-O denied. "Lady Ana, the kingdom is yours! It is yours by right! It is yours because it is your home and these are your people! Dark Kiva just wants power, but you want to help your people and have taken the responsibility with your own hands! Don't let him take what doesn't belong to him! Take it back!"

Kiva's fists clenched and she punched Dark Kiva hard in the face, with enough force to break his helmet. He recoiled and released her before she knocked him down with a sweep kick.

Kiva regrouped with Zi-O.

"It's time to dethrone a tyrant," Kiva said as she put the Wake Up Fuestle into Kivat's mouth.

"_Wake Up!_"

"Time to finish this," Zi-O pushed the buttons on her Ridewatches.

_Finish Time! Agito! Ground Time Break!_

The symbols of Kiva and Agito appeared under them and became energy that transferred into their right legs. The chains surrounding Kiva's iron boot shattered, spreading the wings and revealing the blood red lining with green gems.

The two princesses leaped into the air then performed a double flying kick. Dark Kiva formed his emblem to shield himself, but the two girls slammed into it, shattering it to pieces before their feet collided with Dark Kiva's chest. The King of the Fangires yelled loudly, as he flew backwards into a closeby tree. He groaned as some as his armor broke off of him, and Kivat the Second's eyes woke up. Whatever spell was put on Kivat's father was gone now, and the red and black bat creature flew up.

"Kiva's power… it is no longer yours, King." Kivat the Second said simply as he flew off towards Zi-O and Kiva. The King, panting, looked up at his daughter and Zi-O.

"I'll be back, you know… I am the King! You cannot… The likes of you cannot defeat me!" The King yelled, as he got up and lunged at the two. Kiva lifted up her fist and punched him as hard as she could across the face, causing him to fall to the ground, unconscious. Kiva snapped her fingers, and Jiro walked up to collect the fallen monarch.

"It's over." Jiro gritted his teeth as he kicked the unconscious King in the stomach.

"Lock him up in the dungeons. He'll pay for what he has done, Sir Jiro." Kiva said, as the armor retracted on her body, revealing the young woman once more. Zi-O did much of the same, as Chronera looked at Ana a bit. "It'll be alright. Now that he can no longer transform into Dark Kiva, he will be too weak to break free."

Chronera smiled a bit. She sure hoped so.

* * *

Chronera and Ana sat beneath the light of the night sky, as Ana looked up high towards it.

"You know I miss the stars a lot." Ana said, rather simply

"Stars?" Chronera asked.

"Yes… Where we come from there are many other lights in the skies we call stars." She went quiet for a moment, pointing up at the sky. "So many stars shining in the sky, with a singular moon! Oh it's absolutely wonderful! I wish you could have seen them."

"I'm sure I will one day… I hope." Chronera said, her hands on the ground on each side beside her. Ana put her hand down, one hand clasping over Chronera's.

"But this night sky… It isn't so bad, is it?" Ana said, looking over to Chronera. The warrior smiled and nodded. Ana took a chance and leaned her head beside Chronera's as they stared up at the sky together. For once in their crazy lives, this was a moment of pure peace and bliss.

* * *

Jiro walked through the dungeon of the castle, and looked around a bit. The Wolfen groaned a bit as he opened up the door to the room of the castle in which no one, but him, knew truly what was in there. He removed his sunglasses, pocketing them, before opening up one of the many storage boxes that was contained within. Removing the IXA Belt from it, he flung it over his shoulder.

"Never thought I'd need you again… But things are getting worse, and our Queen will need all the assistance we can give her."

* * *

To be continued in…

**_RIDER TIME: Kamen Rider Kiva_**

* * *

A/N: Thanks to Chrome as always for helping with this chapter. Please leave your thoughts in the reviews!


	9. Chapter 8: Ghost Hunter 2015

**A/N: By the time of this chapter, the events of the first two episodes of Season 2 have played out. Thanks to KR Chrome for helping as always.**

"Rejoice, Brightmoon! Princess Chronera has successfully returned from her diplomatic mission!" Woz announced as he and Chronera entered the throne room.

"Welcome home, Chronera, Woz," Queen Angella greeted.

"Your Majesty," Chronera bowed.

"How are things in the Fangire Kingdom?" Angella asked.

"Princess Ana has retaken her throne and is in the process of repairing the damage done by Dark Kiva," Chronera reported.

"And you have been aiding her in that time, I take it?" Angella questioned.

"I have. I also have more good news: the Fangire Kingdom have agreed to join the Rebellion and Princess Ana wishes to become a member of the Princess Alliance."

"That is wonderful news," Angella said, proud of Chronera.

"Where is Lady Glimmer and the others?" Chronera asked. "I wish to speak with them and tell them the good news."

* * *

Glimmer was in her room, feeling miserable when Chronera knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" Glimmer asked.

"It's Chronera, Lady Glimmer. I've just returned," Chronera said.

Glimmer sighed and went to open the door for her friend.

"Guess your mission was a success," Glimmer guessed.

"Yes, Lady Ana is now the rightful ruler of her kingdom and has agreed to join the Princess Alliance," Chronera informed her. She noted Glimmer's somber mood. "What's wrong?"

"Entrapta's alive and she's joined the Horde," Glimmer answered.

"Oh," Chronera blinked. "So you know."

For a moment, Glimmer blinked when she heard Chronera's reaction and then she realized why she sounded like that.

"You knew," Glimmer said accusingly.

"Lady Glimmer, I-"

"You knew all this time that Entrapta was alive and she's with the Horde! You knew and never told us!" Glimmer shouted as her aura glowed brightly.

"Yes," Chronera confessed. "But-"

Whatever Chronera wanted to say was cut off as Glimmer pointed to the door.

"Get out."

"Lady Glimmer, please, let me explain."

"I SAID GET OUT!" Glimmer shouted.

Chronera froze then put on a neutral expression as she bowed.

"As you wish, Your Highness."

Chronera turned and exited the room. Glimmer slammed the door.

Chronera stood outside with a look of regret on her face.

"I'm so sorry, Lady Glimmer."

* * *

"Hey," Bow said as she found Chronera sitting in her room with clock parts strewn all over her table. She looked pretty busy.

"Sir Bow," Chronera greeted as she examined a gear before putting it down. She had dismantled one of her clocks and checking the parts. Although, the clock was not broken. She just did it because she needed to occupy her mind since she was still bothered by her last talk with Glimmer.

"So, Glimmer told me that you knew about Entrapta," Bow said.

"Yes, I did," Chronera admitted. There was no sense in denying it. "I take it Lady Adora knows too."

"Yeah, she's with Glimmer right now. So, if you knew, why didn't you tell us?"

"Queen Angella told me not to tell you. She was afraid of how Lady Glimmer would react. I agreed to spare her feelings," Chronera answered honestly. "I believe that was not the wisest of decisions."

"That's an understatement," Bow said. "I mean, Glimmer's used to her mom keeping things from her, but not her friends."

"I'm not sure if she wishes to remain friends with me," Chronera said. "People are so complicated."

"Is that why you like to fix clocks?" Bow asked.

"I can understand a clock inside and out, but people have always confused me," Chronera explained. She really wished the Time Mazine could go back in time so she could tell her past self to be more honest. "Do you think Lady Glimmer would ever forgive me?"

"Just give her time to cool off," Bow advised. "So, how did the mission in the Fangire Kingdom go?"

"It went smoothly. Lady Ana judged her father and put him in the dungeon. I knew it pained her so I was with her while she began to fix the damage caused by her father's unjust rule," Chronera answered. "She's likely to come to Brightmoon when the Alliance has another meeting."

"That's good. Say, Chronera, we managed to capture one of the Horde bots attacking the Whispering Woods. You want to go check it out?" Bow invited.

Chronera put down her tools and looked up at Bow.

"Show it to me."

* * *

It was a spherical bot and definitely of Horde design.

"It's way more powerful than anything the Horde has ever thrown at us," Bow explained.

"Because Entrapta upgraded it," Chronera finished.

"Yeah, with First Ones' tech! The Horde now has access to First Ones' tech! That's bad! Even more so since Entrapta was the one made everything go crazy!"

Now Chronera was glad that she managed to take the Kabuto and Drive Ridewatches when she had. Who knows what kind of weapons Entrapta could've made for the Horde if she managed to unlock their secrets.

"When I was captured, Entrapta studied my belt," she informed Bow. "Hopefully, she was not able to find out too much about it."

"Don't underestimate her. Entrapta is a better tinker than I am," Bow warned. Now he was worried. What if Entrapta managed to make a Rider for the Horde?

"Since you're good with machines, do you mind looking at something for me, Sir Bow?"

Chronera took Bow outside to see the Time Mazine.

"And Woz gave this to you?" Bow asked.

"Yes," Chronera answered. "Supposedly, it functions as both a flying machine and a time machine."

"Hold on, did you say 'time machine'?" Bow gaped. "As in this thing can travel through time!?"

"It used to. Woz was able to get it to fly but it can't travel through time anymore," Chronera told him.

"And you want it to be able to?" Bow asked.

Chronera looked at the Time Mazine. If it could travel through time, then she could go back and save her parents. Hell, maybe she could go back and prevent the Horde from ever becoming the threat when they first arrived in Etheria.

But Woz had warned her of the dangers of time travel, like even the smallest change in the past could have unforeseen consequences. He also explained the dangers of paradoxes.

And if she did stop the Horde in the past, what would that mean for Adora? She could save her parents, save Glimmer's father, but then they wouldn't have met Adora. Maybe Adora would have never become She-Ra.

There were just too many what-ifs to risk time travel.

"Entrapta would go crazy over this thing. She might even try to fix it," Bow said.

"She might and she might even succeed," Chronera considered, thinking of using Entrapta to do that but decided against it. They couldn't trust Entrapa not to tell the Horde that the Rebellion had a working time machine. The Horde could use the Time Mazine as a weapon and destroy the Alliance before it even began.

Maybe it was for the best that the Time Mazine could not travel in time. It could fly and it did have a combat function. That should be enough.

Right now, Chronera needed to figure out a way to make things up with Glimmer. But how would she if Glimmer wouldn't even talk to her?

A guard approached the two and informed them that Queen Angella wanted to see them.

* * *

"She lied to us, Adora! She knew about Entrapta and never told us!" Glimmer ranted. "How can I trust her again? How can we trust her again?"

"Look, maybe Chronera had a good reason for keeping it from us," Adora reasoned.

"She's supposed to be our friend, Adora! She shouldn't be keeping secrets like this!" Glimmer yelled, stamping her foot on the ground a bit.

"Hey, do you think your mom knew? If Chronera found out about Entrapta, she'd be the first to know."

Glimmer paused for a moment to think about it. Adora was right. There were more secrets being held behind her.

She was going to confront her mother to find out for sure. Before she could think of what she wanted to say, there was a knock at the door. Adora went to open it and there was a guard standing in the doorway.

"Her Majesty has summoned you," the guard stated. "Please, come with me."

* * *

Adora, Glimmer, Chronera and Bow were gathered in the throne room, facing Queen Angella. Chronera glanced at Glimmer before guiltily averting her eyes.

Queen Angella began to address the team.

"A week ago, we've lost contact with our supply outpost in Alwyn. I need you four to investigate," Queen Angella instructed.

"Okay, Mom," Glimmer obeyed. "We'll check it out and see what's wrong."

"If we're going to Alwyn, we should take my Time Mazine," Chronera suggested. "It'll get us there faster."

"Very well," Queen Angella permitted. "Good luck and be careful."

The four bowed and left the throne room. Chronera led the way to the Time Mazine, occasionally glancing at Glimmer who would not meet her gaze. She let out a sad sigh.

This was going to be a _long _mission.

The team boarded the Time Mazine and Chronera went to the controls. The screen turned on and Chronera set a course for Alwyn.

"Alright, here we go!" Chronera gripped the controls and started the Time Mazine up. It ascended then flew toward Alwyn.

It flew at a very quick pace, avoiding all sorts of terrain and other things that would have made for a longer trek if they were travelling by foot. It was quite a tight fit, much to Glimmer's dismay, but soon enough they landed in the abandoned village. There was a cool, creepy air to it.

The Time Mazine landed in Alwyn and the ramp descended, allowing the team to exit the vehicle.

"Okay, that is fast," Adora complimented the Time Mazine, looking up to the tall machine.

"Yes, it is," Chronera agreed. "With this, we can go anywhere in Etheria and arrive in the blink of an eye."

"Really useful," Adora said. "Don't you agree, Glimmer?"

Glimmer said nothing as she led the way. Chronera sighed again but followed the princess as Adora walked alongside her.

"So, Entrapta's working for the Horde," Adora said to Chronera.

"Yes, and I've known for a while now," Chronera repled. "I'm sorry."

"Queen Angella told you not to tell us, didn't she?" Adora asked and Chronera nodded. "Okay, I guess I can understand that."

"With Entrapta working for the Horde, they will be deadlier than ever, especially since she can upgrade their weapons with First Ones' technology," Chronera said worriedly.

"Entrapta can combine magic and technology," Bow added. "But don't worry, you guys got me, tech master and premier member of the Etherian Maker Community."

"It's just a good thing she never figured out how to make the Ridewatches work,"Chronera remarked.

"Entrapa made her choice," Glimmer said sternly. "There's no changing that so let's just focus on our mission. And who cares if they have upgraded tech? They're no match for us."

"Yeah, Best Friend Quad to the rescue!" Bow exclaimed, earning odd looks from the girls. "Cause there's four of us?" He received silence and half-lidded stares. "Okay, taking that off the list."

As they continued on their way, Adora paused as the leaves rustled. She ignored it and went with the others. She failed to notice the dark presence stalking them.

The team entered Alwyn. Glimmer was just finished telling Adora that it was the Rebellion's main supplier for the war effort. When they entered the orchard, they found it creepy and abandoned.

"The outpost should be up ahead," Chronera said as she took out her Edge of Time. She already had her Ziku-Driver on.

"But where is everyone?" Adora asked. "I don't see any Horde soldiers or anybody."

"Maybe they're all inside?" Glimmer suggested.

"Let me take a look," Bow volunteered as he took out his tracker pad. "I've upgraded my pad for Horde signals. If they're here, we'll find them with this." He turned it on and a shrill humming came out of the device. "Oh, no! I must've broken something during the upgrade! Don't worry. I can fix this." He tried tapping it but the screen was not working. "Okay, I can't fix this."

"That's fine. Whatever's going on here, we can solve it. Nothing gets past us," Glimmer said confidently. A chilly breeze blew by. "Even with all the stories about Alwyn being haunted."

"Haunted?" Adora asked. "Like with ghosts?"

"They're just stories," Glimmer dismissed.

"You know, Shadow Weaver used to tell me ghost stories when I was a kid. Like the one about the Weeping Princess. A vengeful spirit that roams Etheria looking for victims. You'll know she's nearby by the sound of her weeping right before hse strikes." The story made the others tremble with fear before they heard something and freaked out. Chronera immediately stood before Glimmer, aiming her Edge of Time once it was in Gun Mode.

"What was that?" Bow asked.

"I don't know but I don't think we're alone," Chronera frowned. "Your Highness, maybe we should be careful during this mission."

Glimmer frowned and went on ahead, ignoring Chronera.

The group entered Alwyn, keeping their eyes open for anything. They looked odd, sticking close and back-to-back in a tight circle, looking battle ready. They finally reached the outpost.

Bow knocked on the door of a house and heard noise coming from inside. It sounded like someone was inside.

"Guys, I think someone's in there," Bow pointed at the door.

"Okay then we go in on three," Glimmer instructed, her hands glowing, "One, two, three!" they barged right in and screamed as they saw a figure standing at the dining table.

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"

"AAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"

"PLEASE, DON'T ATTACK ME!" the figure yelled.

Glimmer's glowing hands revealed that the figure was a young man who was dressed in a floral pattern hoodie over a white shirt, black pants and sneakers. He had short and dark brown hair done in a messy bowl cut.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?" Chronera demanded as she pointed her gun at him.

"My name is Takeru," the man identified himself. "I'm a ghost hunter."

* * *

"So, you're a ghost hunter? Those really exist?" Adora asked, crossing her arms a bit. The group were now seated outside around a fire pit Takeru had made.

"Of course they do! Who else would hunt ghosts if we didn't?" Takeru said, poking at the fire he had lit. He had been on this ghost's tail for awhile now, and he wasn't about to give up on it now. "Alwyn has been all but abandoned because of the ghosts here."

"W-wait! You're not saying all those stories about ghosts…?" Bow began to say.

"They're mostly true. Maybe not specific stories, but ghosts are real. This one is particularly nasty, chasing away everyone from this village."

Glimmer looked at the fire a bit and sighed.

"I knew this wouldn't just be a simple mission. Nope, it just had to be ghosts, didn't it?"

"Is there anything you can tell us about this 'ghost'?" Chronera asked.

"Does it weep?" Adora questioned.

Takeru sensed something.

"I don't think I need to say anything," Takeru said as he stood up and his eyes hardened. "Because it's right here."

A dark figure soon materialized before the group.

"That's not a ghost," Chronera frowned as she studied the entity. It was an Another Rider. It had a black body with a leather jacket over his top. On his limbs he had patterns resembling lightning bolts. His head was a demonic and flaming blue skull with sharp antlers that appeared to be detached from the body. A big eye was in the middle of his chest and he had a belt with an eye in the centre. The word '**SPECTER**' was on its right sleeve and 2015 was on its left sleeve. As it appeared, ghostly figures flickered in and out of existence.

"That thing's been haunting this place ever since the people left along with the rest of those ghostly figures," Takeru told the group. "If it wasn't for them, this place would still be alive with people." Takeru was about to do something, when Chronera, stepped forward as she docked the Zi-O Ridewatch into her Ziku-Driver.

"Transform!"

_Rider Time! Kamen Rider! Zi-O~!_

Zi-O ran forward and began striking at the Another Rider, who simply blocked each strike by turning invisible, allowing each attack to go through his gasly body without hurting him. The permanent smile on his face perturbed them all. He floated forward and struck at Zi-O with his beast-like claws, causing her to fall back quite a bit. Adora pulled out her sword, only for Zi-O to turn around and knock it out of her hands.

"I'll handle this!" she said in an almost choked up voice. She felt horrible that she felt as though she had lost her friends due to her following the queen's orders. She was a soldier. That's what she was. And a soldier protected the princesses. Grabbing Another Specter by the arm she tossed him into a tree, which he turned unseen for a moment to float right through it. Adora picked up her sword as Zi-O ran after Another Specter. Bow panicked, running after the two, leaving Glimmer sighing alone with Takeru. The rest of the ghostly figures flickered again and disappeared.

The ghost hunter simply smiled and sat back down towards the fire. Glimmer couldn't understand why he was just sitting there, but she didn't want to go any further with Chronera, so she simply left the others to their own devices for the time being.

"I have a feeling that your group's experiencing some disharmony," Takeru said to Glimmer.

"Really, what makes you think that?" Glimmer asked, looking over to Takeru.

"I have a sixth sense for things like this. My friends and I… well we fought sometimes."

"Did your friends ever keep something like another friend being alive from you?! When everyone else thought she was dead?" Glimmer pulled her knees up to her chest and stared into the fire. It crackled warmly, yet Glimmer still felt cold on the inside.

"Well maybe not that, but my friend did try to kill me once. Well more than one occasion in any case." Takeru chuckled a little bit. Glimmer raised an eyebrow, but wasn't feeling up to questioning the man anymore than she needed to.

"I'm just so upset with her that she kept something so important a secret from us," Glimmer finished saying, putting her head onto her knees and groaning. She felt betrayed by someone she trusted.

"Sometimes people can forget to take their friends' feelings into account," Takeru told Glimmer. "But maybe if you both sat down and talked, you can come to an understanding."

"You're right, but still! She kept this from us for who knows how long, and I had to find out the hard way that she was still alive! And Chronera knew this entire time! My mom too!" Glimmer bit her lips a little bit. "How could they do that?"

"People do things sometimes that they just feel they have to do. By the way, your friend seems to have a lot on her shoulders," Takeru observed. "Is there a reason for that?"

"Well… Okay long story short, Adora and Chronera both have these incredible destinies to save the world from the Horde." Glimmer began to go on about their adventures and the monsters they had fought up to now. "But just because she has this awesome destiny, doesn't mean she can just keep important things from us! She didn't even know Entrapta like we did, and she just casually forgot to mention she was alive!"

"You know not everyone goes through the same things the same ways." Takeru said. "Everyone is different, and their experiences are different. Everyone feels different. Your feelings about her keeping that your comrade was alive a secret is valid. But her feelings are also valid." Takeru smiled a bit. "You just need to understand each other's is feelings, and you'll be able to figure out how to move forward."

Glimmer was surprised at how well thought out his response was. She knew he was right, and that she needed to talk to Chronera about how she felt. That was the only way for her to stop feeling upset about her knowing Entrapta was alive this whole time.

"Maybe you're right. I'm still mad at her, but… maybe ignoring her and pretending she doesn't exist isn't doing anything for either of us." Glimmer said, as Takeru nodded.

Before Glimmer could say anything more, however, Another Specter had shown up once more, making an eerie groaning noise as he floated towards Glimmer and Takeru.

"It's him! That specter!" Takeru said, putting his arm out in front of Glimmer. "I'll handle this! I'm a ghost hunter after all."

Takeru waved his hand over his waist, summoning a belt, and pulling a small eye-looking thing out of his coat. He clicked the button on the side of it, before opening the belt and dropping the eye into it.

"Ahhh! A belt!" Glimmer's mouth was wide open. "You can't be…?"

"Henshin!" Takeru called out, pumping the lever on the side of the belt.

_Eyes Open: It's Me! Let's Go! Dead Set! Gho-Gho-Gho-Ghost! GO! GO! GO! GO!_

A Parka Ghost appeared from the belt, the Ghost Driver, and soon covered over the transient armor that Takeru, now Kamen Rider Ghost, wore. His armor was mostly black, with orange accents on it. His helmet had a large horn protruding from it, with an orange face with two large black spots on it to resemble eyes.

"I'm gonna let my life burn brightly! I won't forgive you for using those powers for evil!" Ghost floated forwards, with his Gangun Saber in his hands. He struck Another Specter several times over with it, sparks flying with every strike. Another Specter made a growling noise as he placed his hands on his chest, where the eye was, and sent flying a bunch of demonic looking Parka Ghosts. Ghost weaved in and out of the Parka Ghosts, dodging them along with the other ghostly apparitions that had appeared once more. They were blue and didn't seem to be doing much harm, so Ghost did his best to avoid them.

Glimmer couldn't stand back and do nothing, as she pulled out her staff and assisted Ghost in taking out the Parka Ghosts. As much as the thoughts of the ghosts scaring her made her want to take a sit back, she knew she needed to help. She bounced around the trees with her teleport, striking at the Parka Ghosts whenever they were close by. A single whack was enough to make them vanish in a puff of smoke.

"You're not half bad!" Ghost said, floating towards Glimmer. "You would make a pretty decent ghost hunter!"

"I think adrenaline is pushing me through this!" Glimmer laughed nervously, as Another Specter approached her and threw a punch at her from behind. An expertly shot arrow, however, knocked his hand away. Glimmer looked to see Zi-O, She-Ra, and Bow had arrived.

"Looks like we finally found you guys!" Bow said, waving a bit, and taking another shot at Another Specter with his trick arrows. "We got lost chasing Chronera through the woods! You two oughta really talk about thi-."

"Okay, I know I know! But now is not the time!" Glimmer said, pointing to Another Specter who had summoned a group of black cloaked mooks to fight beside him. All five of them groaned, as they began fighting the mooks and Another Specter.

Zi-O turned to Ghost during the battle, as the latter floated around off the ground striking them down with his saber.

"I had a feeling you weren't just an ordinary person." Zi-O said, as she ran forward to strike Another Specter away from Glimmer and Ghost. "Your name… it sounded like this one person we me. He was a Kamen Rider, so I knew you were a Kamen Rider too!"

"Did you really?" Glimmer asked, finally breaking her silent treatment of Chronera. The girl inside the mask gave a dorky smile no one could see, happy that maybe they could talk about things.

"Kind of! Not really!" Zi-O said, readying her sword for battle. Ghost and She-Ra were at her sides.

Bow leaped up into the air, shooting an arrow at the mooks' feet, causing them to get trapped in rope that had come out of the front of them. Glimmer teleported towards them and struck them hard with her staff, causing them to poof into nothingness along like the Parka Ghosts Another Specter had summoned earlier.

"Let's put this guy to rest once and for all!" She-Ra said, running forward and taking several shots at Specter with her sword. He tried to turn invisible, but the strikes went through him anyways. He fell back a little, staggering towards a tree. Up against it, there was nowhere else left to run.

_Finish Time! Time Break!_

_Eyes Wide Open! It's Me! Omega Drive!_

Zi-O and Ghost both leaped into the air, energy channeling into their feet as they flew down towards the tree. The Another Rider, in primal fear, could not move an inch from where it was. It was now feeling how it had made the people of the village feel. Their feet struck the Another Rider hard, sending it flying through the tree and onto the ground. After a large explosion had occurred, the two Riders looked over to see a villager laying on the ground. They groaned a bit as the Another Specter Watch fell out of them, and broke apart upon impact.

"Well… That's one more problems solved!" Ghost said, cancelling his transformation and going to check on the villager.

She-Ra and Zi-O also turned back to normal, and both took a sigh of relief. It was over.

* * *

After Another Specter was defeated, the team began to wonder if the Another Rider had been the cause of the villagers abandoning Alwyn. That was when they began to saw humanoid figures walking around again. Those mysterious apparitions of what appeared to be people were simply playing as if on loop.

"They're not spirits," Takeru said. "I don't sense any spiritual presence?"

"Then what are they?" Adora asked. "Holograms?"

"Pretty sure holograms don't move on their own," Glimmer argued. "Look, that's one is waving."

"If they are holograms, there has to be a source for the broadcast," Bow said. "I think I know where it is, come on."

Bow led the way to the tower in the middle of the village square. Everyone pulled away the vines that covered the base, revealing it to be First Ones' tech.

"It's like Light Hope's Beacon," Adora realized.

"It's an antenna," Bow clarified. "This must've been some old communications hub. When the Black Garnet disrupted the planet and must've caused this hub to power on. With you translating, maybe we can shut it off."

"So these are First Ones?" Adora asked in wonderment.

"You were expecting something else?" Chronera questioned.

"I've just imagined them as epic, larger than life figures. But they turn out to be regular people who were trying to send a message back home. But their messages were never received because of what Mara did."

"You shouldn't feel guilty for what your predecessor had done," Chronera said sympathetically. "Trust me on that." Adora smiled and put her hand on the hub, shutting it off. "Be at rest."

"Farmers must've freaked out when this thing turned on. It must've caused the interference on my pad. Now, we should be able to send a message to tell them everything is okay," said Bow.

"This hub caused the ghost rumors and then Another Specter must've taken advantage of it to scare people away when they tried to investigate," Chronera theorized.

"Looks like you solved the mystery," Takeru said.

"Looks like we have. With this, the villagers will return to Alwyn," Chronera said. They would take the injured villager back to Brightmoon for medical treatment.

"You know, your friend Glimmer told me you have quite a lot on your plate," Takeru said.

"Yes, my destiny," Chronera sighed. "I'm supposed to gather the powers of the Kamen Riders to become a ruler someday."

Takeru dug into his pocket and pulled out a Ridewatch.

"Well, then it looks like this is yours," Takeru said as he gave Chronera the Ghost Ridewatch.

"But this… these are your powers." Chronera pushed his hand away. "You need them too!"

"I really don't. My life has burned brightly for far too long. I think I need a rest." Takeru looked up at the moonlight. "But you know, as long as this watch is around, I know my power can protect people. I'll be around, you know? Everyone has their time, and I think mine is about now. Thank you though."

"F-for what?"

"For helping put Specter's powers to rest. I know he wouldn't like them being used for the wrong purpose." Takeru smiled as he faded away...like a _ghost_.

"Guys...did he just...vanish?" Bow asked slowly, the blood draining from his face.

"He...he...he was a ghost too!?" Adora yelled out.

"Yes," Chronera confirmed as she held the Ghost Ridewatch. "Kamen Rider Ghost. Guess it wasn't just a name."

They all stood there awkwardly for a moment, before Adora pushed Glimmer towards the former royal guard. Glimmer sighed, knowing there was no way to avoid talking about her feelings. So she decided to sit down with Chronera next to Takeru's fire, which was starting to go out.

* * *

A short while later, the two were deep in conversation about what had happened. The two had a lot to say to one other.

"I never meant to hide anything from you," Chronera explained. "I just... " She sighed a little bit. "I didn't want to disobey a direct order from your mother. She expected so much of me and I let her down when I got captured in the Fright Zone. So when she asked me to keep this secret… I couldn't help but accept her terms."

"I get where you're coming from. She can really be like that, can't she?" Glimmer joked a bit, trying to lighten up the mood a bit. Chronera nodded.

"Yes, but even then, I still feel like I should've told you," Chronera replied. "But she said it was to spare your feelings and to make sure the Alliance does not fall apart because of one defected princess. Back then, I was still thinking like a soldier instead of as a friend. And things got so wild, which isn't an excuse, that I never thought to tell you." She looked over to Glimmer. "Is there anyway you could forgive me?"

Glimmer smiled a bit.

"I think I can."

* * *

Meanwhile, in the Fright Zone, Entrapta was in her lab going over her latest invention. After studying the schematics she had gotten off Zi-O's belt, she had been working on reverse-engineering it. The way it could generate a suit of power armor was just so awesome that she wanted to duplicate it. Fortunately, the Horde had resources she could use to make the belt. She had already designed the armor and had a candidate in mind.

Meanwhile, Shadow Weaver was sitting miserably in her cell. Not too long ago, she had been Hordak's second-in-command and in charge of the Black Garnet. But since Catra rebelled against her, it seemed that her wayward ward was now the one who had taken her place.

She clenched her fists in anger. She had worked too hard to be just thrown away like this. It was not fair. She had done everything for Hordak and yet once she proved no longer useful, he just tossed her away like garbage.

"Damn you, Catra..." Shadow Weaver glowered.

"You seem upset."

Shadow Weaver looked up to see a young woman dressed in a silver outfit.

"You can call me Aura, Time Jacker Aura," the woman said as she casually approached the captive sorceress. "And you, madam, seem to be in a bit of a bind."

"Are you some kind of hallucination?" Shadow Weaver questioned.

"Nothing of the sort," Aura said as she knelt down before her. "You can call me your salvation. You probably feel as if the world has turned against you, don't you?"

"I've done everything for the Horde! Yet this is how they repay me!" Shadow Weaver snapped.

"Then they all must pay, right?" Aura asked as she took out an Another Ridewatch. "How about I help you with that?"

She clicked the button, activating the device.

_Beast!_

She then inserted it into Shadow Weaver's body, screaming as she transformed into Another Rider Beast.

* * *

Back in her lab, Entrapa was going over some finishing touches on her invention. It looked like Zi-O's belt but lacked the digital time display mounted on the front.

The door to the lab opened and Catra entered.

"Entrapta," Catra called to her teammate.

"Oh, Catra!" Entrapta ran up to her then placed the belt on her. Instantly, the belt strapped appeared and looped around her waist. "It fits!"

"Oh, so you got it working," Catra smiled. "I'm guessing this is a copy of Zi-O's belt?"

"Yes, but not an exact copy," Entrapta said. "I mean, it should be able to generate a suit of armor, provided it has the proper power source."

"And you've got it?" Catra asked.

"I'm working on it," Entrapta looked at Catra's Force Captain badge and her eyes lit up. She snatched it off.

"Hey!"

"Sorry! I'll give it back but I'll need this! I just got an idea!"

Catra scowled but she had long gotten used to her teammate's odd behavior. As long as she proved useful to her and the Horde, she could do whatever she wanted, provided she did not overstep her bounds. There were places that were off limits in the Fright Zone and Entrapta was not the kind of person who respected personal boundaries.

If whatever Entrapta did by tinkering with her badge brought results, so much the better.

* * *

Alarms in the Fright Zone began to blare causing Catra went to investigate with Scorpia.

"What's making all that racket?" the scorpion-girl asked.

"I don't know, but it's coming from the cells," Catra said worriedly. They found a cell and the door had been broken open. "Crap." It was Shadow Weaver's cell. "Shadow Weaver's escaped."

"But how?" Scorpia asked.

"I don't know. Magic? Kyle? Who knows? We gotta find her before Hordak finds out! Scorpia, order everyone to find Shadow Weaver, now!"

"You got it!" Scorpia saluted and ran off as Catra paced back and forth in front of Shadow Weaver's cell. The feline thought that becoming Hordak's second-in-command meant more power, but it also came with added responsibility and pressure from Hordak as he expected more from her. And now Shadow Weaver had escaped. This just was not her day.

However, Shadow Weaver had not gotten far. In fact, she was actually pretty nearby.

Within the cell, a figure emerged as it became visible. Its green eyes narrowed as it saw Catra. With an inhuman roar, it lunged out of the cell. Catra gasped when she heard this and immediately leaped aside as the massive figure came at her.

"What the Hell...?" she uttered as she saw the creature that had tried to disembowel her. It was humanoid, with black fur and gold armor. At the tip of each finger and toe was a sharp claw. It had a slender, female figure under that armor. What truly made it inhuman were its chimeric features. It had the head of a lion with a a pair of bull horns, wings like a hawk, a tail like a dolphin and eyes like a chameleon.

This was Another Beast.

"Catra..." Another Beast snarled. "You've been a very, very bad kitty."

Catra recognized the voice.

"Shadow Weaver?"

With a roar, Another Beast lunged for Catra who leaped away to avoid before shredded by those claws. The Force Captain gritted her teeth and took out a baton which was charged. Usually used to stun enemies, it could also be used to kill.

"Hyah!" Catra swung at Another Beast who then turned invisible, causing her to miss. "What!? AAARRRGGGHHHH!" Catra let out a bloodcurdling scream as she was scratched across the back, leaving bloody gashes. She spun around, eyes darting everywhere, looking for Another Beast.

"I should've stuffed you in a sack and drowned you a long time ago," Another Beast snarled as her voice reverberated everywhere. Catra's eyes were wide with fear but she put on her bravado.

"Why don't you show yourself then? Or are you too scared?" Catra taunted but she suddenly had the wind knocked out of her and grabbed by the throat before she was pinned to the wall. Another Beast reappeared before her, looking her in the eye.

"Time for your punishment, Catra," Another Beast grinned as she prepared to use her claws to rip Catra to shreds. But first, some torture before getting to that. Another Beast blasted Catra with water in the face, leaving the poor catgirl shivering and soaked. She really hated water. It seemed the Another Beast just wanted to prolong her torment.

"Now you will pay for every single bit of humiliation you have brought upon me!" Another Beast roared. "What's the matter, Catra? No witty remarks? Have you got your own tongue?"

Catra looked her in the eye and struggled to grin. All of a sudden, Scorpia came to the rescue and shoulder tackled Another Beast, releasing Catra. She gasped while on all fours, drawing breath.

"Took you...long enough!" Catra coughed.

"Are you okay?" Scorpia asked.

"I'm...I'm fine," Catra admitted. "Just help me take down Shadow Weaver."

"That's Shadow Weaver? Man, she's changed."

"It must be what happened to Kyle," Catra scowled.

"You both think you can harm me?" Another Beast snarled. "I have more power than ever before! Even more than Hordak! In fact, after I'm finished with you two, I'll find him and take power from him myself! Then the Horde will be mine!"

"Not if we beat you first," Catra went into a fighting stance.

"Yeah," Scorpia agreed, even though she had no idea how they were going to do it.

Another Beast lunged for them when Emily suddenly shot an energy at her, knocking her out of the air as it wrapped around her. Another Beast roared and growled as she struggled to break free.

"Catra! I've done it!" Entrapta ran over to return Catra's Force Captain badge to her. Another Beast roared as she broke free and lunged at the three of them. Scorpia immediately caught the Another Rider's hands, holding her at bay.

"I got this! I got this!" Scorpia yelled as Entrapta continued.

"That badge is the key for that belt! Now put it in! It'll do the rest!" Entrapa explained quickly and briefly.

Without asking any questions due to how dire their situation was, Catra inserted the Force Captain badge into the centre of the Driver.

This activated it as it exclaimed:

_Roar! Savage! Wild!_

The Driver released red and black pixels which merged and spread all over Catra's body, transforming her as she was covered in a black bodysuit. Then red boots and knee pads covered her legs as red gauntlets adorned her forearms. Black armor covered her chest with shoulder pads. Finally, a helmet formed on her head, masking her face.

_Kamen Rider Clawz! _

With the transformation complete, Catra ran. Her body was moving like a blur as she struck Another Beast and sent her flying. Entrapta was cackling like a madwoman while Scorpia was speechless as she saw Catra's new look.

Catra was in a suit of black and red armor over a flexible protective bodysuit. The gauntlets had clawed that slid out from the wrist and also had shoulderpads modeled after paws with claws sticking up. The Horde's emblem was proudly displayed on the black chestplate, surrounded by the shape of the Horde badge. Finally, the black helmet had a red metal lion's mane surrounding the faceplate and visor which was a pair of heterochromatic eyes; red and yellow like Catra's.

"Catra, is that you?" Scorpia asked.

"Call me 'Clawz'," Clawz responded and then she focused on Another Beast. "Now, time to take out the trash!"

Another Beast made to slash at Clawz as she came at her but the new Rider leaped over the attack then swung her leg to kick Another Beast in the face. She capitalized on her opponent's stunned state to perform a series of kicks that sent her staggering back. Finally, she performed a flip kick that smashed into Another Beast's jaw.

As Another Beast recovered, she flew into the air but Clawz jumped and grabbed her foot before she climbed onto Another Beast's back. The Another Rider tried to throw her off, but Clawz held firm and then used her clawed gauntlets to severe Another Beast's wings. The Another Rider shrieked as she started to plummet but Clawz leaped off and landed on her feet as Another Beast crashed.

"Now, how do I finish her off?" Clawz asked.

"The suit uses a neural interface! Just think and it will do the rest!" Entrapta explained.

"Okay, easy," Clawz replied as she imagined defeating Shadow Weaver. Soon, data was being fed into her mind on how to execute the finisher.

_Clawz! Violent Finish!_

Clawz lunged at Another Beast as her clawed gauntlets glowed with energy. She delivered a series of brutal slashes, fueled by rage, anger and hatred. One last strike sent Another Beast tumbling before she exploded.

Shadow Weaver was left after she smoke faded. They all failed to notice the Another Ridewatch collapse out of her body and shatter into pieces.

"A successful field test!" Entrapta went to examine her new masterpiece. "How does it feel? Is it comfy or too snug? Whaddya think? Are there any bugs?"

Clawz examined her hand and balled it into a fist as she smirked under her helmet, thinking of what she could do with this new power.

"I think this will be a real game changer, Entrapta. Scorpia, take Shadow Weaver back to her cell."

Scorpia had just slung Shadow Weaver onto her shoulder and gave a salute.

"And we're going back to my lab to do more testing!" Entrapa cheered as she took Clawz by the hand and dragged her back to her lab.

* * *

"So, My Princess has gained yet another Ridewatch and made up with her friends. But things are looking dire now that the Horde has their own Kamen Rider. I suspect she'll need all the help she can get to defeat this Clawz. But it seems as though in order to retrieve My Princess' next watch, she'll need to… travel to the future? What could this all mean?" Woz said, shutting his book and smiling. "Perhaps we'll find out soon."

* * *

_**To be continued in… Kamen Rider Zi-O x Kamen Rider Decade: Journey to the Future**_


End file.
